We are less than two weeks away from Alabama's first exhibition game on Thursday, October 8th in Tuscaloosa against Furman. That's the first of three preseason matchups for the Crimson Tide, with rare SEC exhibitions against Ole Miss (10/15) and Auburn (10/22) to follow.
With the season quickly approaching, now is as good a time as any to start projecting the starting five and the rotation for Nate Oats' eighth Alabama team.
Oats brought back six players from last season's squad and added nine new faces from the Transfer Portal and the high school recruiting class. On paper, the roster looks deep, and trimming down the rotation won't be easy.
Backcourt:
Starters: Amari Allen, Aden Holloway
Rotational Options: Qayden Samuels, Anderson Diaz
Bench Depth: Preston Murphy Jr.
Oats is still waiting on Aden Holloway to officially be cleared. That's the reason the Crimson Tide still hasn't released its roster on the official team website. Holloway should be getting close to finishing his "second-chance" program, which would lead to the felony charges stemming from his arrest in March being removed from his record.
Assuming Holloway will be on the court for Alabama this season, he and sophomore Amari Allen will start in the backcourt and be the two best players on the team.
Allen will spend a lot more time on the ball this season and may be the Tide's primary ball handler. That was a big selling point for Oats to get him to return for a second season in Tuscaloosa rather than staying in the draft.
A pair of freshmen will likely see some work off the bench. 5-star Qayden Samuels and the recently reclassified Anderson Diaz will be competing for minutes. Both are gifted scorers, but there may only be legitimate minutes available for one of them.
Wing:
Starter: London Jemison
Rotational Options: Cole Cloer, Jaxon Richardson, Tarris Bouie
Sophomore London Jemison seems to be the most likely starter on the wing. He played a role off the bench as a freshman, but was frequently asked to play out of position at the four and five. He's a more natural wing, and with the work Oats and Preston Murphy did in the Transfer Portal to add several bigs, he shouldn't be asked to play much inside.
An uptick in his three-point shooting (35% last year) will be critical to his ability to play major minutes.
NC State transfer Cole Cloer, who redshirted after enrolling early in Raleigh last year, could be a threat to start, too. He's got a smooth shot and could immediately be the best shooter on the team. His length on the wing could make him an intimidating defender, too. Labaron Philon picked Cloer as his breakout player for the Crimson Tide this year.
Don't count out the freshmen, either. Oats called Jaxon Richardson arguably the best athlete he's ever coached, and the son of former NBA All-Star Jason Richardson seems to embody the blue-collar toughness that this program was built on.
Tarris Bouie has a ton of upside, but is a bit raw. Whichever of the two plays the best defense and wins the blue-collar battle will likely find playing time, while the other ends up on the bench.
Frontcourt:
Starters: Drew Fielder, Brandon Garrison
Rotational Options: Jamarion Davis-Fleming, Keitenn Bristow, Collins Onyejiaka
Bench Depth: TJ St. Louis
Oats added three players to his frontcourt via the portal to try and cull Alabama's biggest weakness from last season. Aiden Sherrell was the only true big on the roster last year, and he transferred to Indiana in the offseason. Alabama replaced him by adding Drew Fielder (Boise State), Brandon Garrison (Kentucky), and Jamarion Davis-Fleming (Mississippi State). Add those three with Keitenn Bristow and Collins Onyejiaka, and Alabama has five options at the five spot before ever having to ask someone like Jemison to play there this year.
Fielder and Garrison are the safe bets to start. Fielder is a floor-stretcher who hit over 40% of his three-point attempts at Boise State last year. Garrison can stretch the floor a bit, too, but Alabama will need his energy and effort to consistently be there, unlike at Kentucky.
The good news is Alabama has options. If Garrison falters, Davis-Fleming could earn a bigger role. The sophomore has intriguing physical tools, particularly on the defensive end of the floor. Alabama got more athletic at the five this year, and I would expect that to lead to a lot more switching ball-screen coverage instead of drop.
Bristow flashed his potential in the 10 games he played before sitting out the rest of the year with injury. He'll likely be asked to be an energizer bunny off the bench. Anything Alabama can get out of Onyejiaka will be a bonus. He's got the most size on the inside, but he's still pretty raw after missing his entire freshman season with a heart issue.
TJ St. Louis was a late addition to the 2026 recruiting class and seems destined for a "redshirt" year in Tuscaloosa as he develops in the background.
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