No Alabama basketball player has drawn the ire of Nate Oats more this season than Florida State transfer forward Taylor Bol Bowen. It's for no other reason than Oats knows he can pull more out of the talented junior, particularly on the glass.
Bol Bowen found himself directly in the crosshairs of his head coach during and after Alabama's 92-81 win over Kennesaw State on Sunday afternoon.
Bol Bowen didn't start on Sunday, and ultimately only played 13 minutes. It was clear that Oats hadn't been happy with his effort recently. He picked up nine rebounds, including a season-high five offensive boards, in the win over South Florida on Wednesday. That followed a disappointing effort against Arizona the Saturday before.
But Oats has said that if you aren't willing to rebound, you aren't going to play. He stuck by that against Kennesaw State. In 13 minutes, Bol Bowen only grabbed a pair of rebounds.
“We gotta get some rebounding in our frontcourt," Oats said "So if you don’t wanna rebound, you’re not gonna play. So you gotta learn how to make some tough plays. We gotta get rebounding.
Taylor Bol Bowen's role could be uncertain moving forward
This was not the first time Bol Bowen has been publicly called out by Oats. It happened after the season opener against North Dakota, which sparked a strong response from the FSU transfer in Alabama's win over St. John's in New York.
Oats is going back to the well and hoping for more.
It'll be up to Bol Bowen to respond. If he doesn't, he could face an uncertain role as Alabama gets healthier.
Freshman Amari Allen started at the four against Kennesaw State. Allen's 18.9% defensive rebounding rate far surpasses Bol Bowen's 14.5%, per Bart Torvik. Allen has proven to be a physical player who is unafraid to mix it up in the paint despite being a natural guard.
Oats talked about the return of London Jemison, who missed the Tide's win over Kennesaw State on Sunday with a knee injury, having an impact on the frontcourt rotation. Jemison might have an opportunity to earn a more consistent role, which could eat further into Bol Bowen's minutes.
That's not to mention Tarleton State transfer Keitenn Bristow, who leads Alabama in defensive rebounding rate.
Oats knows Bol Bowen is Alabama's best bet. That's why he's trying so hard to pull it out of him. But this is a deep and talented Crimson Tide team, and if Bol Bowen isn't going to do what Oats is asking of him, then other guys are going to get the opportunity.