Alabama basketball will face Ole Miss in the Ballin in Boutwell preseason event, the organization announced on The Next Round on Thursday.The exhibition will be held in Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham on Oct. 15 at 7 p.m. CT. This game will not count towards either team's record, as Alabama's first regular-season game is at home against Sam Houston on Nov. 6.Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide are quite familiar with this venue. Alabama beat Wake Forest 98-77 in the "Bama in Boutwell" exhibition in 2024, and in 2025, when the name was changed to "Ballin in Boutwell" due to numerous other schools also participating in the Nike and Hibbett sponsored event, the Tide outlasted Florida State 109-105.Preseason games are not only a great way for fans to see the team in action early, but it also gets the newcomers' feet wet. Alabama has eight incoming freshmen and transfers, as this year's team will look much different. Oats stressed after the season-ending loss to Michigan in the Sweet 16 that "we got to get bigger," and that's the theme of the new roster. Every transfer is 6-foot-8 or taller, while the other freshmen besides Anderson Diaz are roughly 6-foot-6 apiece.Oats and lead assistant coach Preston Murphy's rosters over the last couple of years have been very guard-centric. Alabama has been at the top of college basketball in pace and shots from behind the arc, but this year's team, on paper, embodies the usage of the frontcourt players. Granted, many of the tall newcomers have a consistent 3-ball in their arsenal, but scoring in the paint could be a more frequent occurrence this upcoming season than in past ones.Alabama women's basketball will also compete at Ballin in Boutwell on Oct. 15 at 12 p.m against UAH. Like the men's team, the women's basketball roster will look much different, and that includes new head coach Pauline Love. The 38-year-old is filling the role of Kristy Curry, who departed from Tuscaloosa after 13 seasons for the same position at USF on March 24. This is Love's first head coaching job.Before spending last season as Oklahoma's associate head coach, Love was an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator for Alabama women's basketball in 2024-25. She helped lead the Crimson Tide to a 24-8 record and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Under her guidance, Alabama landed four top-100 recruits in the 2025 class and produced two WBCA All-Americans in Sarah Ashlee Barker and Aaliyah Nye.2026 Ballin in Boutwell Schedule(All times central)Alabama A&M vs. Samford (MBB): Oct. 13 at 7 p.m.Auburn vs. Central Florida (WBB): Oct. 14 at 12 p.m.Auburn vs. Florida State (MBB): Oct 14 at 7 p.m.Alabama vs. UAH (WBB): Oct. 15 at 12 p.m.Alabama vs. Ole Miss (MBB): Oct. 15 at 7 p.m.Alabama Men's Basketball's 2026-27 Schedule as of July 16PRESEASON EXHIBITION Oct. 15: vs. Ole Miss in BirminghamNov. 6: vs. Sam HoustonNov. 13: vs. Seton HallNov. 17: vs. Kennesaw StateNov. 24: vs. Baylor at Players Era Championships in Las VegasNov. 26: vs. winner of Gonzaga/Kansas State at Players EraNov. 27: vs. winner of Michigan/Creighton/Miami/TCU at Players Era (if Alabama wins prior matchups)Nov. 28: Players Era Championship (if Alabama contends) vs. winner of Tennessee/Maryland/Iowa State/San Diego State/St. John's/Oregon/Louisville/Texas TechDec. 2: at Miami in ACC/SEC ChallengeDec. 12: vs. St. John’s in BirminghamDec. 16: at South FloridaDec. 21: vs. Iowa in Des Moines, IowaTBD vs. Houston at the Jimmy V Classic in Madison Square GardenTBD vs. SamfordSign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow