Alabama basketball exhibition vs Florida State, 11 key observations on Tide

BIRMINGHAM — Alabama basketball fought tooth and nail at its 109-105 exhibition win against Florida State in Boutwell Auditorium.

Earlier in the week at SEC Media Days, coach Nate Oats said his guys were “ready to go against somebody else.” The returning Elite Eight team looked ready in stretches against the Seminoles, but a new Florida State squad — from its first-year coach to a roster without now-Alabama forward Taylor Bol Bowen — surprised the Crimson Tide for all 40 minutes. Oats foreshadowed the struggles, though.

“Our backcourt, I feel pretty confident in. Our frontcourt’s got depth. We do have skilled guys, (we’ve) got two 7-footers that can play on the perimeter, make 3s, handle the ball. But defensively, our frontcourt’s got to get a little better,” Oats said Tuesday. “We’ve been on them about it. I think they’re making some jumps in practice, so it’ll be good to see what they do against another team on Thursday night.”

On Thursday, Oct. 16, a reslient Crimson Tide returned to Tuscaloosa with the win. Here are 11 observations from Alabama versus Florida State.

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Who made Alabama basketball starting five?

Alabama’s first starting five consisted of guards Labaron Philon, Aden Holloway and Houston Mallette with Taylor Bol Bowen, a junior forward transfer from Florida State, and Aiden Sherrell at center.

Noah Williamson doesn’t dress to make Crimson Tide debut

For undisclosed reasons, the Bucknell center transfer Williamson didn’t dress for his Alabama basketball debut. He joined the bench with injured Crimson Tide players Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who is on the mend, and Jalil Bethea, who transferred in from Miami during the offseason.

Who was first group off the bench?

Oats went with freshmen London Jemison, Amari Allen and Davion Hannah, as well as Tarleton State transfer forward Keitenn Bristow as the first subs for the starting five. Philon remained in the game.

Who was Crimson Tide’s best 3-point shooter?

Philon and Bol Bowen emerged as the Crimson Tide’s sharpest shooters, each going 3 for 4 as Alabama shot just over 35% as a team.

Turnovers still causing trouble for Alabama basketball

Seven early turnovers for a detrimentally quick Alabama created the chance for Florida State to go on a 12-0 run and take an early 10-point lead. UA finished with 15 turnovers against 11 for FSU.

Transfer Keitenn Bristow lives up to offseason hype

Bristow, a Tarleton State transfer forward, put up 13 points (6-for-10 shooting) and six rebounds off the bench for Alabama. He played 19 minutes in his first showing with the Crimson Tide. He guarded every position on the court and was all over the floor, proving to be the motor Alabama lost with former Mo Dioubate’s transfer to Kentucky.

Taylor Bol Bowen shines against former FSU team

Shooting 3s at 6-foot-10, Bol Bowen proved he’s a perfect fit for Oats’ system. He found foul trouble in the second half, but his leading 11 points in the first half were vital to keeping Alabama in the game. The junior added three rebounds, an assist, a block and a steal against one turnover.

How did Aden Holloway do in first start in Crimson Tide uniform?

Holloway wasn’t as hot as he was from deep in his first season at Alabama, but he heated up at the right time, draining a pair of clutch 3s late to make it a one-point game and reestablish UA’s first double-digit lead since the first period with under three minutes to go.

Alabama inefficient from free-throw line

The Crimson Tide shaped up its efforts from the line, shooting 83.3% in the second half, but a spotty performance in the first half, going 15 for 25, was a key reason Alabama struggled to get, or stay, ahead.

Why Crimson Tide couldn’t hang onto early double-digit lead

While Alabama shaved down FSU’s early advantage about halfway through the first period, the Crimson Tide couldn’t hang on to its largest lead of the night, 11 points, with 3:53 to halftime.

Florida State exposes Alabama struggles in transition

Taken under in transition, Alabama allowed FSU to make a 16-4 run, which allowed the Seminoles a 48-47 lead at halftime.

Alabama loses rebound battle to Florida State

The Crimson Tide was outrebounded 46-41 by FSU despite seven boards each for Davion Hannah and Houston Mallette. Meanwhile, Lajae Jones and Chauncey Wiggins rebounded in double-digits for Florida State, which dominated the offensive glass 23-13 against Alabama.

Who were Alabama’s top scorers?

Philon walked away as Alabama’s top scorer with 28 points and a team-high four assists. Going 10-for-12 at the one-line, Holloway came second with 20 total points.

Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball exhibition vs Florida State, 11 key observations

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