The Alabama Crimson Tide are set to enter their latest chapter of March Madness with an extensive amount of prior NCAA Tournament experience scattered across both the 2025-26 roster and coaching staff.
Something that will only benefit the Crimson Tide on the big stage that is March Madness, Alabama has four players with prior experience playing in NCAA Tournament games, as well as three coaches who have made numerous trips to the big dance.
Among those with an extensive past history in March Madness is head coach Nate Oats, while each of Alabama’s four players with prior NCAA Tournament experience have appeared in at-least four games on the big stage.
Following is a look at which Alabama players and coaches have past NCAA Tournament experience, as well as what that has entailed for each.
Nate Oats, Head Coach

This will be the sixth NCAA Tournament appearance for Alabama head coach Nate Oats with the Crimson Tide, as well as his ninth overall dating back to his time at Buffalo where he reached March Madness three times before an arrival in Tuscaloosa. Dating back to the 2015-16 season at Buffalo, Oats has a combined record of 13-8 in March Madness as a head coach, and has made one Final Four appearance back in 2024 with Alabama.
Preston Murphy, Assistant Coach
Alabama assistant coach Preston Murphy will be making his seventh NCAA Tournament appearance this season, as well as his third with the Crimson Tide. Prior to Alabama, Murphy had two NCAA Tournament appearances while at Boston College and Creighton as an assistant coach.
Brian Adams, Assistant Coach
Brian Adams will be making his fifth NCAA Tournament appearance as an assistant coach, as well as his second at Alabama. Adams had three NCAA Tournament appearances as an assistant coach while at Harvard.
Aden Holloway, Guard

Likely unavailable for the first weekend, Aden Holloway has NCAA Tournament experience the last two years, with an appearance coming while at both Alabama and Auburn. Holloway has appeared in five NCAA Tournament games in his career, which is the most of any player on Alabama’s roster, with the guard’s March Madness career-high his 23 points scored in the Sweet 16 last season against BYU.
Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Guard

Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. will be making his third NCAA Tournament appearance, as well as his second at Alabama, after missing the big dance due to injury a year ago. A key member of Alabama’s Final Four team who has appeared in four career NCAA Tournament games, Wrightsell had one appearance while at Cal State Fullerton back in 2022, and the veteran guard’s career-high scored in a March Madness game was 17 points against Charleston in the 2024 first round.
Labaron Philon Jr., Guard

Labaron Philon Jr. will be making his second appearance in March Madness after doing so a year ago with Alabama. Philon appeared in each of Alabama’s four NCAA Tournament games played a year ago, with his March Madness career-high being 16 points scored in the Elite Eight last season against Duke.
Aiden Sherrell, Center

Similar to Philon, Aiden Sherrell is also set to make his second NCAA Tournament appearance after doing so a year ago as a freshman. Sherrell saw action in all four of Alabama’s NCAA Tournament games a year ago, with his March Madness career-high currently his eight points scored against BYU in the Sweet 16 last season.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Labaron Philon headlines Alabama players with March Madness experience