Alabama Freshmen 'Make Winning Plays' In Victory Over Clemson

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Alabama overcame a sluggish start to the second half and a furious Clemson comeback attempt to hold off the Tigers for a 90-84 win. While Labaron Philon Jr. dominated the game with 29 points, it was the Crimson Tide's freshmen who stole the show, as Amari Allen and London Jemison each had possibly the best performances of their young careers.

Allen, the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week, poured in a career-high 20 points to go along with a team-high 11 rebounds and four assists. It was expected that Allen would play a big role on this team heading into the season, but Allen has eclipsed even the most optimistic projections of how he would contribute thus far. The freshman is in the top four on the team in the three main statistical categories, averaging 10.9 points (fourth), 7.4 rebounds (first), and 3.6 assists (third) per game.

"He's been a winner since the day he came on. He was super competitive the first week of summer practice. He's not gonna back down from anybody," head coach Nate Oats said. "He's played against high-level competition. He spent two years at IMG, I just don't think he was able to really showcase everything that he could do there. We saw it enough in his summer of AAU going into his senior year. But man, I'm really happy for him. He's a great kid, he's a winner, He's smart, he's tough, he just makes a lot of winning places. He's going to win a lot of basketball games."

Eleven of Allen's 20 points came in the second half, when Clemson had turned a first-half Alabama blowout into a back-and-forth contest. Allen played a team and career-high 36 minutes and was the only player to play the entire second half. He scored what would prove to be the game-sealing bucket on a turnaround jumper to put Alabama up by five points with a minute to play.

"I feel the confidence getting involved in ways that aren't scoring, on defense, rebounds, and stuff like that," Allen said of his performance down the stretch. "And then all my teammates and Coach Oats, they feed confidence into me every day, every practice. So, not being afraid to make a mistake, it really helps your confidence."

While Allen dominates, Jemison is also emerging as a key piece of Alabama's offensive game plan. The Connecticut native scored 13 points on 4/7 shooting against the Tigers. After averaging just four points per game through Alabama's first five contests, Jemison burst onto the scene with an 18-point showing against UNLV in Las Vegas last Tuesday. He followed it up with 11 against Maryland the next day, meaning Thursday marked his third straight game in double figures.

"Thought he fought hard. He showed he's got some fight," Oats said of Jemison. "When we put him in, he played. He took full advantage in the minutes we got him in Vegas, we were a little short on guys in three games in three days. Obviously, you've got to practice well, but he's taking advantage of his minutes in the games. He hasn't made bad decisions; he had zero turnovers."

As Jemison grows offensively, his biggest value comes on the other end of the floor. Alabama had a 1.009 defensive rating across his 33 possesions on the floor, a significant improvement compared to when he was on the bench. At 6-foot-8, 205 pounds, Jemison provides much-needed size on an Alabama team that has gotten carved up in the paint by teams like Purdue and Gonzaga to start the season.

"He's making tough plays. I mean, I thought that probably outside of Aiden (Sherrell), he was our second-best post defender tonight," Oats said. "I think his defensive capabilities, with his length, athleticism, and toughness, are showing up... He’s done well for himself lately."

Allen and Jemison have golden opportunities to continue to develop over the next month as four of Alabama's next five games are against mid-major opponents before the start of the SEC gauntlet in January. If there is any lesson to be learned from this Clemson game, as well as the first eight games of the season as a whole, it is that the freshmen are going to be indispensable for the Crimson Tide this season.

Alabama is a team that has proven it can compete with anybody in the country, but also one that has clear flaws that could rear their ugly heads at any given time. With Allen's rebounding and playmaking, Jemison's post defense, and the collective energy that the pair brings to the floor, they are officially key pieces of the Crimson Tide's 2026 season.