Alabama basketball played its first of three preseason exhibition games on Thursday night against Furman, and the Crimson Tide prevailed with an 111-93 win at Coleman Coliseum.
Any concerns about the offense in the preseason from pundits were clearly exaggerated. Playing without Aden Holloway - and Anderson Diaz, Jaxon Richardson, and Preston Murphy Jr. - Alabama's offense hummed.
Alabama put up 111 points on 56% shooting from the floor and 41% from three. They did that without two of their three lead guards. Imagine what things might look like once Holloway finishes serving his suspension.
Let's talk about some observations from Alabama's 18-point win.
1. The freshman can really, really play
It looked like Nate Oats hit a home run in the high school recruiting class for the 2026 cycle before they ever took the court. It looks more so now. And that was with Richardson and Diaz both sidelined.
Qayden Samuels and Tarris Bouie both certainly looked the part. Samuels looked skilled and handled some extra on-ball work with Holloway and Diaz out. He scored 17 points on 7-of-11 from the floor with 7 rebounds and 3 assists.
Bouie also impressed, but more with his effort and energy. He scored 18 points with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and six steals. Oats said after the game that Bouie won the hard hat award, which was not surprising to anyone who watched it.
Bouie also showcased his elite athleticism with a show-stopping dunk late in the second half:
OH MY WORD TARRIS BOUIE 🤯 pic.twitter.com/mFBDZ2VFOP
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) October 9, 2026
2. Cole Cloer is going to be a real weapon for this offense
It's going to be difficult to keep the NC State transfer off the floor. He'll compete with London Jemison for the starting three-spot for the Crimson Tide this year. He came off the bench in this exhibition matchup, but he equaled Jemison's 25 minutes.
Cloer showed his shooting touch, knocking down 4-of-10 attempts from three and scored 14 points. Even better, Oats said after the game that Cloer led the team in defensive leverage. That's the fact that will get him on the floor a whole lot this season.
3. Brandon Garrison looked like the guy Alabama needs him to be
One of the most polarizing additions for Alabama in the Transfer Portal this offseason was Kentucky big man Brandon Garrison. Some have been heavily critical of the addition, but Garrison certainly looked the part in his Crimson Tide debut.
He came off the bench with Drew Fielder and Keitenn Bristow starting in the frontcourt, but he made an immediate impact when he got into the game. In 16 minutes, Garrison went a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor with 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a blocked shot.
Garrison won't be perfect from the floor every night, but if he plays with that kind of effort, he's going to be a major asset.
4. The defense is...a work in progress
Scoring 111 points? Great!
Giving up 93? Not so great.
Oats' portal work this offseason was to get bigger all over the roster. Alabama only has two rotational players - Holloway and Diaz - who are under 6-foot-6. But the defense is still a work in progress, despite it being a major point of emphasis for Oats.
Furman scored 93 points and knocked down 18 three-pointers. Alabama allowed too many open looks, didn't box out well enough on the glass to allow second-chance opportunities, and gave up too many easy buckets at the rim.
It's far too early to panic over it, but there's certainly some reason to be concerned after the first exhibition.
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