3 Instant Observations from Alabama Basketball's Win over Arkansas State

A matchup featuring a Nate Oats team against an opponent coached by a former Oats assistant meant the tempo and scoring were high inside Coleman Coliseum on Friday night as No. 20 Alabama beat Arkansas State 101-86.

The Crimson Tide (2-0) ultimately had too many weapons for Arkansas State (1-1) to overcome, but the Red Wolves, coached by Ryan Pannone, fought until the final whistle.

"It was an interesting game," Oats said after the game. "It’s great to see Ryan Pannone back in Tuscaloosa. It was not that fun to coach against him though because they can generate a lot of good looks on offense. I mean, they hit 15 3s on us. We gave up 39 attempts, which is not good. They shot almost 40 percent from 3. So a lot of stuff we got exposed."

Here are three quick observations from the Crimson Tide's win:

Alabama overcomes slow start

Alabama scored the first point of the game on a free throw, but the Red Wolves held the lead after that until the 4:13 mark of the first half.

The Crimson Tide made just seven of its first 30 shots from the floor. However, an Oats squad is never going to stop shooting. Alabama attempted 36 3-pointers in the first half alone and scored 32 points over the final 9:35 of the first half.

Overall, the Crimson Tide finished 15-for-50 from beyond the arc. The offense found its rhythm and surpasses the century mark for the first time this season. Seven different players made a 3-pointer.

The shooting will only get better from here when Alabama gets its best shooter, Aden Holloway, back next game against Oakland on Monday.

The competition will continue to get tougher, so coming out sluggish doesn't need to become a habit for the Crimson Tide, but Alabama has the offense to overcome it.

Amari Allen shows range

Amari Allen's most notable accomplishment on the night was recording the fifth triple-double in Alabama program history, but he played a key role in the Crimson Tide's strong finish to the first half.

Alabama closed the first half on a 21-2 run, and a big part of that run was back-to-back 3-pointers from well beyond the arc by Allen. It gave the Crimson Tide a very comfortable cushion going into the half against a pesky Arkansas State team.

Big time bucket from A5.#RollTide | #BlueCollarBasketball pic.twitter.com/2bW70qT0rI
— Alabama Men’s Basketball (@AlabamaMBB) November 7, 2026

The sophomore guard had the chance to go to the NBA after last season but decided to come back and improve his stock. Allen has skills that can translate at the next level, including his range from deep.

"He came back to play his way up in the draft," Oats said of Allen. "Having triple doubles certainly doesn’t hurt his case I’m sure. I thought he was pretty efficient… He’s one of the most competitive guys I’ve ever met both on the floor and off. He’s a guy that’s always in the gym.

Brandon Garrison is exactly the type of players Alabama needed from transfer portal

Brandon Garrison only averaged 4.7 points per game at Kentucky last season, but the 6-10 forward is showing why he's a perfect fit in Alabama's system.

Garrison recorded a double-double on Friday night with 14 points and 10 rebounds. He was contributing at a high level on both sides of the floor.

The forward showcased his versatility with strong finishes at the rim but also connected on a beautiful shot from beyond the arc. Garrison ended up winning Alabama's hard hat award for the game with the most blue collar points charted by the staff.

"Super happy with Brandon’s effort," Oats said. "Played half the game. Play 19 minutes and had 22 blue collar points. I thought he was really good. He had a double-double— 14 and 10. I thought he imposed his will on their interior a little bit. If he could’ve made some free throws, he could’ve led us in scoring. But we’ll get in the gym and work on that."

With the roster turnover in college basketball, hitting on portal players is more important than ever, and it seems like Alabama landed the right player in Garrison.

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