Houston Mallette embodies "Mudita" for Alabama basketball

The rallying cry for Alabama basketball the last two seasons has been "Mudita", a Buddhist term that Nate Oats got from softball coach Patrick Murphy. Mudita is a concept that refers to the joy you feel when another person is successful.

With the talent and depth of this Crimson Tide team, it made sense that Oats would bring back the term for another go-around. And with Pepperdine transfer Houston Mallette, there hasn't been a player who embodies Mudita better.

Mallette committed to Alabama in March before the Crimson Tide's run to the Final Four. He was the first transfer portal commitment for the 2024 team. Following Alabama's run, the Crimson Tide got hot in the portal and landed the likes of Chris Youngblood from USF, Aden Holloway from Auburn, and Clifford Omoruyi from Rutgers. More surprisingly, Mark Sears and Grant Nelson returned for their fifth years of college basketball.

That left Mallette with a more uncertain role than he expected. He also had a knee injury in the summer that left him unable to practice for a period of time. After back-to-back good performances in a small role in Alabama's preseason wins over Wake Forest and Memphis, Mallette ultimately agreed to a redshirt to preserve his final season of eligibility.

Mallette was an energetic cheerleader from the bench for the Crimson Tide through the season's first eight games. Despite what I'm sure was disappointing, you would have never been able to tell. He was constantly smiling, hyping up his teammates, and providing leadership.

After Latrell Wrightsell tore his ACL in the second half of Alabama's loss to Oregon on Saturday night in Las Vegas, the Crimson Tide was left with only nine healthy scholarship players as they await the return of Youngblood.

Oats mentioned the possibility of removing the redshirt from Mallette and getting him on the court, but ultimately that decision was going to be left up to the player.

“In my opinion, a lot of times in society, we have what’s best for me,” Mallette said after Alabama's win over North Carolina. “But I feel like what’s best for me in my life is what’s best for the team."

Mallette played nine minutes in Alabama's 94-79 win over North Carolina. In those nine minutes, he was +12. He made both of his three-point attempts, and his active defense led to two steals.

Mallette still isn't likely to have a 20+ MPG role, which I'm sure is something he hoped for in his final season of college basketball. But his unselfish attitude and willingness to do what's best for the team will serve him well in life. And it's that kind of attitude that has built a sustainable culture in Tuscaloosa under Oats. And it's that kind of attitude that embodies what Mudita is all about.

“Obviously, my prayers are out there with Latrell,” Mallette said. “Obviously, this isn’t the way I wanted to play. If I could have it, I would have loved Latrell to play.”