Alabama basketball appears to be hitting its stride at the right time. As we approach the end of February, the Crimson Tide has won six straight games and has leaped back into the AP Top 25 at No. 17 this week.
Nate Oats and his team have dealt with plenty of adversity this season, from a plethora of injuries to key players and then the highly criticized Charles Bediako saga.
As usual, Oats scheduled aggressively out of conference, and his team will head into March as battle-tested as any in the country.
Alabama will be looking to make the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season, and is coming off back-to-back Elite Eight appearances and the program's first Final Four in 2024.
In order for Alabama to make another deep run, these bench players will need to play pivotal roles.
3 Alabama bench players who could make or break the Tide's March Madness hopes
1. Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
The recent emergence of sixth-year senior guard Latrell Wrightsell has played a pivotal role in Alabama's recent run of success. Wrightsell tore his Achilles during the 2024 Players Era Festival and was slow to return to form this year.
The biggest issue was his three-point shot abandoning him early in the season. After shooting 42% or better from three in his two previous seasons in Tuscaloosa, Wrightsell shot under 30% during the non-conference schedule.
But fortunes have turned in SEC play, and Wrightsell has shot just under 41% from deep in conference action.
Wrightsell is also one of Alabama's best on-ball defenders, and his ability to be the impactful shooter he has always been is a massive boost for the Crimson Tide. His selflessness to come off the bench has provided that unit with a spark that could be critical in March.
2. Taylor Bol Bowen
Florida State transfer Taylor Bol Bowen has dealt with numerous injuries this season that have prevented him from ever finding his stride in Tuscaloosa. Getting him healthy in time for March Madness might be the single most important thing to monitor the remainder of the regular season.
Bol Bowen's minutes have been limited recently, and so has his effectiveness. But he's gutting it out for his teammates, logging 40 combined minutes the past three games despite clearly being hampered.
Bol Bowen's importance to this team has been heightened in the aftermath of Bediako's preliminary injunction being denied. Alabama needs his size and athleticism to make a run next month.
3. Houston Mallette
There may not be a more unheralded "glue guy" in college basketball than fifth-year senior Houston Mallette, who has embraced his role as the energy guy off the bench and consistently makes winning plays.
Alabama's last two wins are sterling examples of Mallette's value and impact. Against Arkansas, Mallette hit two critical threes in overtime, including what proved to be the game-winner in the Tide's double-overtime thriller.
Against LSU, Mallette hit a couple more three-pointers, but he came away with two pivotal offensive rebounds late in the game on the same possession that helped the Crimson Tide seal the deal.
Mallette's leadership and hustle have been invaluable to this team, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he makes a play or two that swings a game in Alabama's favor in the NCAA Tournament.