Nate Oats may have found his second option behind Labaron Philon going into the Alabama Crimson Tide's 2025-26 season.
Oats is entering the 11th season of his head coaching career, his seventh with the Crimson Tide. He has made incredible history with the program, getting them to their first-ever Final Four in 2024.
Looking forward to a new campaign, Oats did an interview with college basketball reporter Andy Katz on the upcoming season. He did not hesitate to name who can be reliable for Alabama besides Philon.
“In an interview with @TheAndyKatz, Nate Oats got asked who his go-to scorer beyond PG Labaron Philon. The first name he mentioned was Houston Mallette,” the post read.
What lies ahead for Nate Oats, Alabama
It's an interesting choice for Nate Oats to name as the second-best scorer outside of Labaron Philon. For Houston Mallette, he can see it as a major sign of support.
Mallette initially played for Pepperdine from 2022 to 2024 before transferring to Alabama. However, his 2024-25 season ended early due to injury. In the six games he took part in, he averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game, including shooting 50% from 3-point range.
It will be intriguing to see how Mallette looks when he returns to the court this upcoming season. How he will fit alongside Philon would also be worth keeping tabs on.
Philon stood out as one of the best freshmen in the country. He produced 10.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals per game in all 37 appearances. He earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors, becoming the eighth Alabama freshman to receive the honor under Oats.
Alabama is coming off a strong campaign last season, finishing with a 28-9 record. They reached the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament, losing 85-65 to the Duke Blue Devils. Building on their best years in history, Oats will hope to have the program take the next step as national contenders.
The Crimson Tide will see their season get underway at home. They host the North Dakota Fighting Hawks on Nov. 3.
