Alabama basketball has one non-conference game remaining before it begins SEC play against Oklahoma on Jan. 4. The Crimson Tide (10-2) will look to end 2024 on a high note when it faces South Dakota State on Sunday inside Coleman Coliseum. Alabama has a 3-0 record against the Jackrabbits, with the most recent matchup coming in 2022.

The Tide struggled with another Summit League side from the Dakotas, escaping with a 97-90 road win over North Dakota in a homecoming for forward Grant Nelson on Dec. 18. Alabama rebounded from its scare up north with an 81-54 blowout win over Kent State in its last game. The win secured Alabama’s seventh victory in its previous eight outings.

The Tide has sustained a strong record through non-conference play, but coach Nate Oats is still looking for his side to respond to turnover issues that have popped throughout its first 12 games and trim down the Tide's deep rotation. Alabama's final non-conference game should provide it with one more good opportunity to create positive momentum before the gauntlet of SEC play begins.

Here’s everything you need to know about Sunday’s game.

Who: No. 6 Alabama (10-2) vs. South Dakota State (9-5)

When: 2 p.m. CT, Sunday, Dec. 29

Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Watch: SEC Network+ (Play-By-Play: Roger Hoover, Analyst: Richard Hendrix, Sideline: Nathan Brown)

Listen: Crimson Tide Sports Network | SIRIUS/XM 134/201 (play-by-play: Chris Stewart, analyst: Bryan Passink)

Mark Sears: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, graduate

Stats: 17.8 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.9 apg, 40.4% FG, 32.9% 3-pt

Labaron Philon: 6-foot-4, 177 pounds, freshman

Stats: 11.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 3.8 apg, 53.3% FG, 26.5% 3-pt

Jarin Stevenson: 6-foot-11, 215 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 4.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 35.6% FG, 22.9% 3-pt

Grant Nelson: 6-foot-11, 230 pounds, graduate

Stats: 12.8 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.8 apg, 54.5% FG, 23.5% 3-pt

Clifford Omoruyi: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, graduate

Stats: 7.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 0.8 apg, 70.2% FG

Owen Larson: 6-foot-2, 195 pounds

Stats: 7.9 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.5 apg, 33.6% FG, 31.3% 3-pt

Joe Sayler: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, redshirt freshman

Stats: 13.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.7 apg, 42.5% FG, 38.5% 3-pt

Kalen Garry: 6-foot-3, 200 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 10.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.6 apg, 38.1% FG, 35.4% 3-pt

Matthew Mors: 6-foot-7, 215 pounds, junior

Stats: 9.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.4 apg, 48.4% FG, 35.0% 3-pt

Oscar Cluff: 6-foot-11, 260 pounds, Senior

Stats: 16.6 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 2.7 apg, 71.4% FG

Stevenson got the start at small forward for a fourth straight game against Kent State, but Oats started the second half with Derrion Reid in the lineup at the three while Stevenson replaced Nelson at the four.

Reid finished the game with a productive nine points, six rebounds and two steals in 19 minutes. His halftime introduction showcased a lineup that could potentially start games with Reid joining Sears, Philon, Nelson and Omoruyi while Stevenson provides relief in the frontcourt off the bench. Reid started the first two games of Alabama's season when Nelson was on a minutes restriction while recovering from injury and replaced Philon in the starting lineup against North Dakota.

Alabama’s final non-conference game allows for Oats to possibly re-introduce Reid or tinker with a different fifth player in the starting five. South Florida transfer Chris Youngblood played a season-high 21 minutes against Kent State and has continued to be a bigger part of the lineup since making his debut against Creighton. Oats has tinkered with three-guard lineups throughout non-conference play, including against Kent State where Youngblood, Aden Holloway and Houston Mallette were on the all floor together to help spark some offensive life after a slow start.

Sunday will likely be the last opportunity for any significant lineup experimentation before Oats trims things down and solidifies his core going forward. The balance of minutes will also help players find consistency as their role in the rotation becomes more clear.

“I think every game’s building a little bit more towards figuring out what we’re trying to do,” Oats said. “I think this is helping maybe solidify it. I mean, there’s a few guys that we just can’t take out the rotation — they’re just playing too good, but I think we can get it down to nine or 10 pretty quick. We got one more game before SEC play, and we’ll try to figure it out.”

Alabama came just one giveaway short of tying its season-high in turnovers against Kent State. The Tide had 20 turnovers against Rutgers on Nov. 27 and had 19 giveaways against the Golden Flashes last Sunday. Despite a strong game defensively, Alabama continued some worrying trends of playing sloppy with the basketball and giving away possessions. Alabama started the Kent State game with four turnovers before it scored a point.

“The turnovers have been really just way too many,” Oats said. “Thirteen in the first half. We did the same thing two games in a row. We only had one the second half against North Dakota. We ended up with six in the second half here. So we’ve got to do a better job at turnovers. I don’t have an answer for the free throw problems, but the only way to fix that is get in the gym and work.”

The start of SEC play will be the true litmus test for how much work Alabama did over its short holiday break to cut down on turnovers. The Tide currently ranks No. 15 out of 16 conference teams with 13.3 turnovers per game.

Alabama has a good opportunity to limit giveaways Sunday. South Dakota State ranks No. 320 in Division I in opponent turnovers per game with 10.1. That mark ranks only above Creighton among Alabama’s opponents this season. Alabama was better, but still helped the Blue Jays in that metric with 11 turnovers in its 83-75 win.

While it won’t be needle-moving if Alabama stays under the 10 turnover mark given the opponent, a better showing in the turnover department than it had against Creighton and Kent State will show that Alabama can make adjustments to limit giveaways. Alabama hasn’t had less than 10 turnovers in a game since its Nov. 20 win over Illinois.

Alabama is looking to win 11 games during its non-conference schedule for the first time under head coach Nate Oats and the first time since the 2011-12 season

Grant Nelson has posted three straight games with double-digit rebounding for the first time since being a member of the Crimson Tide

In the last five seasons, Alabama is 21-2 at Coleman Coliseum against non-conference opponents

Alabama has faced eight opponents, including six inside the top 50, that are currently ranked inside KenPom's top 100, tied for the most in the country (Purdue)

The Crimson Tide's three AP Top-25 wins ties for the most wins in non-conference play under head coach Nate Oats, matching the 2022-23 season

Alabama is one of five teams from the Southeastern Conference that is ranked in the Associated Press Top-10, which is the first time the SEC has had five teams ranked in the top 10 in the AP Poll

Alabama is looking to win four straight AP Top-25 matchups for the first time since the 2017-18 season (won five straight)

Coach Oats has 21 AP Top-25 wins during his tenure at UA, which ranks third all-time in the program's history behind Mark Gottfried (22 wins) and Wimp Sanderson (25 wins)

Alabama has scored 100 points or more in 91 games in program history, with Coach Oats' teams accounting for 25 percent of that number (23 games)

Coach Oats' 117 wins across his first five seasons at Alabama stands as the most wins in a five-year span in

program history

Mark Sears is one of two active players (Kansas' Hunter Dickinson) to have 20 or more points in at least seven career games when facing an AP Top-10 opponent

Mouhamed Dioubate is the only player in the country this year to record 16 rebounds and three blocks this season against an AP Top-10 opponent (#6 Houston)