Alabama Basketball Planning to Play Next Two Conference Games as Scheduled

The Crimson Tide's next two opponents have both been dealing with postponements and players out because of COVID.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — What was once as sure as the sun rising, now changes as fast as the Alabama weather can go from tornadoes to snowing. 

Like many things since March 2020 when the SEC tournament was stopped two games in, the SEC basketball schedule has constantly been shifting and adapting to the conditions of the world. 

Before the 2021-22 season started, it was an SEC rule that any team that had to cancel a game because of COVID issues would result in a forefit and loss for that team. In December with the spike of cases, the conference changed the rules to a team having a roster minimum of seven coaches and one coach available or the game. Teams can choose to still play, or the games can be postponed to a later date or the game declared a no contest. 

Alabama coach Nate Oats said his team is doing everything it can to prevent a shutdown, but most teams are as well, and it is sometimes unavoidable with this virus.

"Every player that’s eligible got the booster shot," Oats said. "We're doing what we can on our end to make sure that we don't have a shutdown, but it happens.”

Alabama got off to a 1-0 start in conference play with the 73-68 win over Tennessee on Dec. 29, but several SEC teams have already had to postpone games because of COVID issues within the program including Alabama's next two opponents. 

The Crimson Tide will travel to Gainesville on Wednesday to take on Florida. The Gators' scheduled SEC opener against Ole Miss was postponed because of COVID problems within the Florida program. Alabama is scheduled to play Missouri on the road Saturday, but the Tigers have had to postpone their game this week against Mississippi State because of issues within their own program. According to Oats, Alabama is planning to play both games.

Oats said he has talked to some staff at Missouri, and they believe there will be enough players out of protocol to play the game on Saturday, especially now that the SEC is following the CDC's recommendation of a five-day quarantine instead of 10 days. 

"I think teams are aware of the fact that they've got to be fluid and flexible with their schedule and we are too," Oats said.

The trip to Gainesville on Wednesday will be only the second true road test of the season for Alabama. The lone road performance came in the loss to Memphis on Dec. 14. (Alabama did beat Gonzaga on a neutral site in Seattle that was a largely pro-Gonzaga crowd.)

Last time the Crimson Tide played in Gainesville, the team blew a 21-point lead and ended up losing in double-overtime. The only player on the current Alabama roster who played in that game is Jaden Shackelford, but Oats is eager to get his team back in a hostile road environment. 

"Sometimes it's even more satisfying to quiet a road crowd than even get excited with the home crowd at home," Oats said. "So we'll kind of see what some of these guys are made of."