Bama hoops with some no-so-subtle encouragement from a Tuscaloosa resident.

"Even good teams need billboard material. And after losing a nail-biter to then-ranked No. 18 Missouri Saturday, the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team received just that – literally.

Just under a mile from Coleman Coliseum, right outside the Newk's Eatery on University Boulevard, a billboard challenged the Crimson Tide to "Protect The Paint." Three billboard ads were placed throughout Tuscaloosa Tuesday and were all funded by Michael Wendel, a Villanova alumnus who has a daughter who attends the University of Alabama.

I see potential in the Alabama team," Wendel said. "If they were mean, they would win. If you go 1-for-30 from [behind the 3-point line] and don't rebound, then you can't win. I'm not trying to make anybody uncomfortable or anything, but I believe this team has Final Four potential."

""I love it," Alabama men's basketball coach Nate Oats said in the press conference after Tuesday's win over South Carolina. "Shoot, they're obviously into basketball if somebody is paying to put billboards up to tell us to rebound the ball. They're on the same page as the coaching staff."

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