3 Instant Observations from Alabama Basketball's Win over Oakland

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Welcome back, Aden Holloway.

Alabama's star senior guard made his season debut in the Crimson Tide's 109-68 win over Oakland, and took all eight of his shots from beyond the arc. He made four of them, finishing with 12 points in a performance that was symbolic of the way the entire team played.

Forty-six of Alabama's 62 attempts came from beyond the arc. Alabama made 24 of them (the most in a regular-season game in program history), and the Crimson Tide's 72 points off threes surpassed Oakland's 68 total points on the day. All in all, it was the most complete offensive performance of the season, and the downstream of Holloway's return was present in many facets of the game.

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

Ball movement = London Jemison buckets

Jemison is as pure an offensive player as Alabama has on the roster. The Crimson Tide is at its best when he is able to get good looks. That only happens when the ball is moving.

It moved the best it has all season tonight. Chalk it up to the opposition, chalk it up to Holloway, or chalk it up to a team that is developing and learning how to play together, but the first half was about as good as it gets. Alabama shot 11-for-21 from beyond the arc through 20 minutes. Those looks were consistently good, including all three of Jemsion's attempts. He made all of them, and they were all assisted.

It continued in the second half, as he drained another three from deep. Jemison tied his career high, with 20 points on a perfect 7-for-7 from the field and 6-for-6 from three.

It's also been a joy to watch his willingness to feed back into the offensive flow, which was lacking last year. The sophomore's understanding that he will consistently get the ball has allowed him to comfortably give it up for someone else to get a better look. He had countless hockey assists in a game that demostrated just how high his offensive ceiling is.

Cole Cloer is a work in progress

Cloer has been on the receiving end of a great deal of hype over the past month, going back to Alabama's first exhibition against Furman. He's gone from dark horse to one of the worst-kept secrets in basketball, as scouts and evaluations have pegged him as a potential first-round NBA Draft pick.

It's easy to see why. He's the prototypical modern NBA player in a system built to develop him for the next level. The shot is there, the vision is impressive, and he has all the tools needed to make a lot of money in the league.

That doesn't mean it will all come together right away. Cloer still absolutely looks like a freshman, particularly on the defensive end. He's been a step behind on numerous rotations over these first three games, and his physicality on the glass has left a lot to be desired. These early-season reps are incredibly valuable for Cloer, who frankly looks borderline unplayable on that end in a big SEC matchup as things currently stand.

The missed shots shouldn't bother anyone – they'll fall sooner rather than later. He's a net positive on the offensive end, and as the cohesiveness of Alabama's ball movement improves, so will he.

But Cloer's defensive development and ability to box out and compete on the boards will determine how much he plays as the schedule gets tougher. We're alongway from any kind of definitive statement here.

Keitenn Bristow is here to stay

Bristow showed everyone what he was capable of in Alabama's November win over Illinois last season, and then never really got to do it again, as injuries robbed Alabama of a player who would have proved crucial down the stretch. Well, the junior appears primed to pick up even stronger than he left off.

He put up nine points, three rebounds, and two assists, all in the first half (Bristow played just three minutes after the break). He was extremely valuable for the Crimson Tide, but his impact goes far beyond the box score. He is consistently the most physical player on the floor, and there is no reason to expect that to change against Power Five opposition.

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