We are officially one week away from the regular season tipping off for Alabama basketball next Tuesday against Sam Houston.
But we already got a light appetizer before our main course with a three-game exhibition schedule in the preseason that gave us our first look at Nate Oats' 2026-27 Crimson Tide.
It wasn't a perfect look with several key players missing time, including the suspended Aden Holloway, who will miss the first two games of the regular season, too. But there were opportunities for others who took full advantage.
Let's examine the biggest winners and losers from the preseason slate of games:
Winners
Amari Allen
With Holloway out, Amari Allen had even more on-ball responsibilities than he normally would in the regular season, though Alabama fans should get used to the fact that he's going to be the primary ball handler and initiator this season.
Allen was terrific in all three games, and barely looked like he broke a sweat until he took over the game down the stretch against Auburn. He averaged just over 20 points per game against Furman, Ole Miss, and Auburn, doing so on ridiculous efficiency, shooting over 50% from the field and from three, while knocking down 84% of his foul shots.
We all knew Allen was going to take a leap and be one of the Tide's two best players this year, but the sophomore looks like he might be a real contender for SEC Player of the Year.
Cole Cloer
Sitting out the Auburn game with an injury couldn't dampen the hype surrounding NC State transfer Cole Cloer, who was a revelation in the first two preseason games against Furman and Ole Miss.
After scoring 14 points and hitting 4-of-10 from three in his debut, he was even better when the competition got tougher against an SEC opponent. He scored 18 points and dished out 4 assists vs. Ole Miss. He showed he's more than just an elite shooter with some real ability off the dribble and some outstanding court vision.
Cloer won't just play a lot this season; he might be one of Alabama's very best players. Don't be surprised if he forces his way into the starting five.
Qayden Samuels
The biggest benefactor of Holloway's absence was freshman Qayden Samuels, whom Oats threw into the lion's den immediately. The freshman is a walking bucket, capable of knocking down from the outside while using his size to bully smaller guards and get to the rim.
Samuels isn't shy. He got up 40 shot attempts across the three games and averaged over 16 points per game. He'll benefit from Holloway's return to add some floor spacing that should give him more chances at open catch-and-shoot threes, but his impact is already obvious.
Even against Auburn when he struggled from the floor (6-of-19), he led Alabama in plus-minus.
Tarris Bouie
It was a bit of a roller coaster ride for freshman Tarris Bouie across the trio of exhibition games, but it's impossible not to be incredibly excited about his long-term potential, even if that doesn't always translate during his freshman season.
He had 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 steals - capturing the Hard Hat - against Furman in his debut. He was a bit reckless against Ole Miss and ended up only playing 14 minutes, but he was impactful again in the win over Auburn. He had 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 stocks (steals + blocks) against the Tigers.
It's not going to be easy to get everyone on this team minutes, but Bouie plays with his hair on fire when he's in the game, which is something Oats will gravitate toward.
Losers
Collins Onyejiaka
Collins Onyejiaka lost his freshman season to a heart condition, but he's all clear now. Unfortunately, that didn't lead to any opportunity during the exhibition slate. While he was unavailable due to a minor injury for the Auburn game, he didn't log minutes against either Ole Miss or Furman, either.
The fact that he didn't get into the Furman game despite the Crimson Tide winning by 18 points was pretty telling.
There may be opportunities here and there for Onyejiaka if Alabama needs more size in the frontcourt, but it looks like he's still pretty far away from being a real rotational piece.
Brandon Garrison
Kentucky fans warned Alabama fans about the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of senior big man Brandon Garrison. Alabama fans got their first look during an up-and-down exhibition slate.
His debut was excellent, scoring 15 points with 4 rebounds on a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor in just 16 minutes against Furman.
Against Ole Miss and Auburn, he combined for just 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting across 41 minutes. He flashed during those games, too, but also had some boneheaded turnovers and some baffling shot attempts.
That's the Garrison experience in a nutshell. Fortunately, Alabama has real depth in the frontcourt and won't be tied to the Kentucky transfer when he's struggling.
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