Alabama Basketball Scheduled Seton Hall to Test Its Freshmen Against a Tough, Physical Opponent
A test beyond the résumé
Oats usually builds Alabama’s non-conference schedule around personal connections or opponents who can strengthen the team’s NCAA tournament résumé. Seton Hall is a less obvious choice: the Pirates have not reached the NCAA tournament since 2022.
But Oats said his priority is making Alabama better, rather than finding opponents the team can beat easily. When director of scouting and analytics Adam Bauman proposed Seton Hall, Oats agreed to the game.
Preparing for physical opponents
Oats respects how Seton Hall coach Shaheen Holloway’s teams play, describing them as tough, physical and strong defensively. Holloway was named Big East Coach of the Year after the Pirates improved from 7-25 in 2025 to 21-12 last season.
Oats pointed to Alabama’s losses to Texas, Tennessee and Florida last season as examples of the challenge posed by physical teams. He said the Seton Hall game can show whether the Crimson Tide has improved against that style.
A young team’s first challenge
Alabama is 3-0, with six freshmen among a group of new players. The team is opening its season with five straight home games at Coleman Coliseum for the first time in Oats’ eight seasons in Tuscaloosa.
That home stretch gives the freshmen and transfers time to settle into Oats’ system. Friday’s matchup is still the team’s toughest test so far, and Oats has emphasized physical play and defensive rebounding.
Oats’s Big East connection
Oats grew up watching Big East basketball, including Seton Hall’s Final Four run in 1989 and its Sweet 16 appearances in 1991 and 1992. He said he is eager to see how Alabama responds to the Pirates’ physicality.
Seton Hall entered the matchup 3-0. Oats said he wants to learn whether Alabama’s freshmen can handle the toughness they will face.
Key points
- Oats chose Seton Hall to challenge Alabama, not to schedule an easy non-conference win.
- The Pirates have not made the NCAA tournament since 2022.
- Alabama is 3-0 and has six freshmen among its new faces.
- Oats has emphasized physicality and defensive rebounding ahead of the matchup.