Alabama Basketball Practice Report One Month From Season Opener

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama men's basketball is less than two weeks away from playing its exhibition game against Florida State in Birmingham. On Nov. 3, the Crimson Tide will face North Dakota at home to start the regular season.

As the preseason contest nears, the media got to view 15 minutes of Monday's practice in Coleman Coliseum. The players were separated into two teams and did drills on opposite ends of the floor.

Crimson:

Aden Holloway
Davion Hannah
Houston Mallette
Taylor Bol Bowen
Collins Onyejiaka

White:

Labaron Philon
Amari Allen
Preston Murphy Jr.
London Jemison
Keitenn Bristow
Aiden Sherrell

Here are a quick observations for each player on the Crimson Tide's 2025-26 roster.

Alabama Basketball Oct. 6 Practice Report:

Note: Due to the brief viewing time, the media only saw a couple of drills on each side of the ball.

No. 0: Labaron Philon, guard, sophomore

Alabama's most prominent returner from last season's team will be the team's primary ball-handler and scorer for 2025-26. In the defensive drill, Philon was often tasked with guarding the ball-handler. He showcased solid defense last season and he was physical during these reps.

No. 1: Jalil Bethea, guard, sophomore

The Miami transfer guard did not participate during Monday's practice as he's recovering from a foot injury/surgery that he sustained in practice a couple of weeks ago. Oats said, "Hopefully he comes back soon, because he was starting to figure it out when he got hurt. Hopefully we get him back, because he's super talented."

No. 2: Aden Holloway, guard, junior

Alabama's sixth man from last season was the primary ball-handler for the white team. He was the first player to make a pass in a drill that involved him driving from the top of the key to the free-throw line, and it was followed by numerous other passes by the white team outside of the perimeter for a shot at the wing or behind the arc.

No. 3: Latrell Wrightsell Jr., guard, graduate

The returning guard ruptured his Achilles early into last season and has been recovering well ever since. He isn't participating in team drills yet, but Oats is very pleased with his progress. "He's been unbelievably great in the whole rehab process. I think he's coming along. He's probably where he needs to be. We didn't practice him today. We kind of had him on a little bit of a load management deal bringing him back so he doesn't injure himself somewhere else."

No. 4: Davion Hannah, guard, freshman

Philon has previously called the incoming freshman a two-player on social media, and that showed on Monday. He guarded the ball-handler on a couple of defensive sets and assistant coach Brian Adams told Hannah to "blitz" a few times.

No. 5: Amari Allen, forward, freshman

Despite being 6-foot-8, Oats referenced Allen as a guard during Monday's press conference. He guarded the ball-handler up top a couple of times and is the most surprising newcomer to Oats based on his ranking as a recruit: "He's a big guard, plays hard, is physical, is about winning, plays defense," Oats said. "He can make shots, he can run the team, he can play pick-and-roll, he can pass the ball and he can finish at the rim. I think he's primed to have a really good year for us."

No. 6: London Jemison, forward, freshman

Alabama's offensive shooting drill shown during the viewing period didn't involve any defensive players, but Jemison could use his 6-foot-8 size to consistently hit shots over opponents. Oats said after Jemison signed with the Tide that "Throughout our time recruiting London, he possessed one of the best shot charts we have ever seen."

No. 7: Taylor Bol Bowen, forward, junior

The Florida State transfer can be a bit of a ball-handler and facilitator this upcoming season. Alabama assistant coach Preston Murphy took a video of him on Aug. 18 and wrote "6’10 PG! Labaron Philon, you've been warned." He made some passes with force during Monday's shooting drill and is someone to keep an eye on.

No. 10: Keitenn Bristow, forward, sophomore

The 6-foot-10 Tarleton State transfer's length was very apparent on Monday and it could be utilized on both sides of the floor. Bristow was named the WAC Freshman of the Year last season after averaging 11.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. He also led all WAC freshmen with 1.1 steals per game.

No. 11: Preston Murphy Jr., guard, junior

The son of the aforementioned assistant started the perimeter drill a couple of times, but that was mostly Philon's role. Murphy Jr. averaged 14.4 points on 42 percent from the field, including 34 percent from downtown, along with 4.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game in his one season at Northern Oklahoma College last year after starting in 25 games.

No. 15: Noah Williamson, center, senior

The Bucknell transfer center was not present at practice. No injury had been previously mentioned, but Oats said during the press conference that he woke up sick this morning and will be back soon.

No. 22: Aiden Sherrell, forward, sophomore

Sherrell returns to Alabama with high expectations. He played the fewest minutes per game last season, but could see a starting role in 2025-26. He stretches the floor with his shooting ability, and he looked a bit faster laterally during the viewing period.

No. 34: Collins Onyejiaka, center, freshman

Philon’s pro comparison for Onyejiaka on social media is the Orlando Magic version of center Dwight Howard. Six of Howard’s eight All-Star appearances came with the Magic and he was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year for three straight seasons. They're the same weight, but the freshman is one inch shorter. However, he was an imposing piece in the paint on Monday.

No. 95: Houston Mallette, guard, graduate

Like Wrightsell, Mallette's 2024-25 season also ended early, as he was dealing with injuries to his knees before he even arrived following his transfer from Pepperdine. He had a sleeve on his right leg, but looked ready to go after medically redshirting and the sharpshooter took a few shots on the wing during the perimeter passing drills.

Coaching Notes:

Alabama offseason hire Chris Fleming was vocal during the offensive drills. The longtime NBA assistant is taking over for new Arkansas State head coach Ryan Pannone, who helped develop the nation's highest-scoring team in back-to-back seasons.

At one point, Oats said, "That's why our talking's got to be way up." And then the talking immediately picked up.

Adams stopped the defensive drills a couple of times to explain some things, and he seemed pleased with the Crimson Tide's response.

Despite his promotion to special assistant to the head coach, Erwin Dudley still gets in there as a practice squad player.