The Game: Furman (0-0) vs. No. 15 Alabama (0-0)
Series: Furman and Alabama will be meeting for the fourth time in the series, with the Crimson Tide holding the 3-0 all-time series edge.
Venue: Timmons Arena (2,750)
Date and Time: Oct. 26, 2025/3 p.m. EST
Setting The Scene: Furman tips off its much-anticipated return to Timmons Arena Sunday afternoon in exhibition action against No. 15 Alabama. The Crimson Tide are the lone power-conference foe the Paladins are slated to face in either the exhibition season or the non-conference slate, as Alabama becomes the first power conference foe the Paladins have faced inside Timmons Arena since hosting Clemson on Nov. 16, 2012. The Paladins were 72-55 losers on that occasion.
The Paladins did face off against eventual Final Four qualifier Auburn almost exactly a year ago in an exhibition clash to kick off the 2024-25 season, as the Paladins ended up dropping an 83-62 contest to the Tigers inside Furman's home away from home--the Bon Secours Wellness Arena--where the Paladins played all their home games for the 2024-25 season while Timmons Arena got its 40-million dollar upgrade.
Furman is 1-2 all-time against SEC foes inside the friendly confines of Timmons Arena, hosting an SEC foe for the first time in the facility since Dec. 22, 2010, when the Paladins claimed their lone win over an SEC foe on the home hardwood, which was a 91-75 triumph over South Carolina.
The clash between the Crimson Tide and Paladins will feature two high-octane offenses that love to shoot the three. The Crimson Tide posted 390 made threes last season (10th/12th in the nation at 10.5 made threes per game), shooting them at a 35.3% clip (98th in the nation). Furman closed out the 2024-25 season connecting on 380 triples (5th in the nation/10.9 made threes per game), connecting at a 36.6% clip (48th in the nation).
To give you an idea of how much the Crimson Tide love the three, they've made 2,144-of-6,214 triples (34.5%) in six seasons under Oats' leadership, including more than 1,000 attempts each of the past three seasons, connecting on 413 in 2023-24, which is second-most in SEC history behind only Auburn's 454 made triples in 2019-20. The Crimson Tide also ranked second in league history in three-point attempts during that same season (11.16 PG).
Under Bob Richey, Furman's love affair with three-point shot is well-advertised, and like coach Nate Oats at Alabama, has the Paladins in the record books in his eight previous seasons at the helm, as the Paladins set the SoCon record for made threes in a single season with 401 triples during the 2021-22 season.
All told, Furman has connected on 2,690-of-7,162 attempts from three-point range over the past eight seasons, which computes to an impressive 37.5% shooting clip over that same span.
SEC Foes Furman Has Faced at Timmons Arena and Results:
Jan. 26, 1998 vs. South Carolina L, 52-79
Dec. 6, 1999 vs. Georgia L, 82-86 (OT)
Dec. 22, 2010 vs. South Carolina W, 91-75
Timmons Arena Upgrade:
For more about the Timmons Arena Upgrade, follow the link pasted below.
Upgraded Timmons Arena joins ranks of state-of-the-art mid-major playing venues | Mid-Major Madness
Looking Back at the Series:
All three previous meetings between the Crimson Tide and Paladins have taken place in Tuscaloosa, with the most recent of those coming during the 2020-21 season, with the Crimson Tide overcoming what was a double-digit deficit at one point to garner what was a thrilling 83-80 win in mid-December of 2020.
The win for the Crimson Tide came despite trailing by as many as 12 in in the second half, however, the Crimson Tide came roaring back and closed the game with a 22-10 run to help hold off the Paladins 83-80 at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. The turning point in the game came when wing Clay Mounce fouled out of the game with 8:12 remaining in the game.
Mounce had been Furman's offensive spark most of the night, particularly in the first half when the Paladins sizzled from the field to the tune of a 62% shooting clip. Mounce posted 21 points before fouling out of the contest. Mike Bothwell would ultimately lead the Paladins in scoring in the game, posting 23 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field, including a 5-for-11 effort from three-point land.
Alabama would get a balanced scoring effort in that setback, with Herbert Jones leading the Crimson Tide with 18 points and 12 rebounds, while dishing out four assists. Jaden Shackelford was also solid, chipping in with 13 points and four boards in the home win.
The Crimson Tide would go on to close out that 2020-21 campaign with a 26-7 record, as UCLA ended the Crimson Tide's historic run at Hinkle Fieldhouse during the NCAA Tournament's "Bubble Tournament" due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the Crimson Tide put up a valiant effort, the UCLA Bruins closed out the 98-88 overtime win to move on in the tournament.
Furman's 2020-21 season, which was also shortened due to the pandemic, ended with a 16-9 mark and a 10-5 SoCon mark, as the Paladins, who were the No. 3 seed in the SoCon Tournament in Asheville, would be upset in the opening round of the tournament with VMI downing the Paladins, 91-90, in overtime at the Harrah's Cherokee Center Asheville.
A year earlier, the Crimson Tide also posted an 81-73 win over Furman, despite an outstanding performance from senior guard Jordan Lyons, who poured in 33 points in the road loss for the Paladins. The Paladins couldn't find their shooting touch on this night, however, shooting just 30.9% in the loss at Alabama.
Lyons' heroic scoring effort kept the Paladins in the game maybe longer than it should have been. Furman would end up going on to close out the 2019-20 season with a 25-7 mark, as the Paladins would be upset in the quarterfinals of the SoCon Tournament by Wofford, 75-67.
The Crimson Tide closed out the 2019-20 season with a 16-15 mark and just an 8-10 ledger in SEC action. All told, the previous two meetings in 2019 and '20 totaled just 375 days between the two meetings.
The only other meeting came in the Butch Estes era back during the 1986-87 campaign. That early-season clash in Tuscaloosa would see Crimson Tide guard Mark Gottfried drop in 23 points, while forward Jim Farmer added 22 points, as Wimp Sanderson's Crimson Tide blistered the nets from long range in the game, connecting on 12-of-19 attempts from beyond the arc en route to a 96-69 early-season blowout of the Paladins. Shawn Reid's 19 points paced the Paladins in the first-ever clash between the two.
Previewing The Paladins:
Coming off a 2024-25 season, which saw the Paladins' record exceed expectations with 25 wins and an invitation to the NIT after a 93-85 loss to Wofford in the SoCon Tournament Championship, the Paladins somehow managed to finish on-par with their preseason billing of No. 5 placed on them by the coaches at the league's annual media voting.
The old saying is, the creme often rises to the top, and that's exactly what happened down the stretch during the 2024-25 season, as after a mid-conference swoon that saw the Paladins encounter some adversity after a 13-1 start to the season, the Paladins starting to trend upwards again heading towards Asheville, reaching the championship game with six-straight wins.
Furman would eventually run out of gas against Wofford, however, losing the title clash by eight in a game that was especially pleasing to the eyes if you are a fan of good shooting and good offensive execution. Despite the title game loss, the season was considered a huge success. Especially when you consider the Paladins, who are under the direction of Bob Richey (181-82/9th season), had to replace 71% of its scoring from a year earlier entering the 2024-25 campaign.
When put in perspective, the 25-win season, which ended with a 77-65 NIT opening round loss at North Texas was considered a huge success and the Paladins carried that strong momentum into the off-season.
Personnel Preview:
Nick Anderson (14.6 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 96 3PT FGs) and PJay Smith Jr. (17.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 111 3PT FGs), who accounted for 207 of the team’s 380 three-point field goals last season, have both moved on. Big man Garrett Hien (7.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 27 3PT FGs), who was a 1,000-point scorer in his career for the Paladins, and one of the most important players in the history of Furman basketball for his two made free throws, steal and assist to JP Pegues in the final seconds in the 68-67 NCAA Tournament win over Virginia three years ago, has also moved on.
The other piece that brought a defensive presence and mature leadership off the bench for Furman a year ago was Tyrese Hughey (1.7 PPG, 1.3 RPG), as Furman is down to only a couple of remaining players that were a part of its 2023 championship team of three years ago. Wing forward Tommy Humphries (0.7 PPG, 0.3 RPG) struggled to find his way into Furman’s rotation and opted to transfer back to his home state to play for Summit League power St. Thomas.
Many believed that selecting a point guard was the intended strategy during the off-season, and at first, Richey also expressed agreement on Furman’s postgame show after the Paladins’ 75-64 first-round defeat to North Texas. He would obviously change his thinking over the course of about a month.
"Well you get in that portal and it's like...a little bit of a needle in a haystack and you've got to find somebody that fits your place and you've got to somebody that fits your program and you've got to find somebody that you feel like is leaving for the right reasons and so you get in there and the funnel gets really tight really quickly and then you have to figure out who you can afford so then you got to say well you've probably go best player because there is only so many options and so are you going to take a less talented guy that might not fit you as well to get the quote unquote position you need and when we had the opportunity to get Asa [Thomas] it was just one of those situations where you know coming from Clemson...you know Brad [Brownell] and I have some similar values and we're good friends," head coach Bob Richey said at SoCon Media Day in early October.
"We recruited Asa in high school and he can really shoot it and knows how to cut and knows how to play and then you have to ask yourself do we need a point or do we need to replace shooting...point guard in today's game and we're playing 94-feet offense and we're just trying to get the ball out of the net and go play...So we've taken two two-guards and turned them into all-conference point guards," Richey added.
Richey’s Offensive Innovation
Though Furman won 25 games last season, it still finished fifth in SoCon and did hit a lull in the middle portion of conference play. While Furman’s offense and shooters against uncommon opponents was something it had great success with, racing to a 13-1 start, including a 12-1 non-conference record, when the Paladins got in league against the good coaches that make up the league, there was a game-plan that seemed to work early on.
Part of Furman’s philosophy under Richey has been trying to always have five perimeter threats on the floor, and in most seasons, that has not necessarily always been easy, but it’s always made Furman so hard to account for defensively.
Aside from their offensive actions, which seem like QB progressions in that each action has four or five options that the Paladins can go to if an opponent shuts down one, is Furman has shot the ball maybe as well as it ever has from three over the past eight seasons under Richey, which included setting a single-season SoCon record with 401 triples in the 2021-22 campaign.
Furman's 37.5% shooting clip over from three over that same span shows the offensive spacing and innovative creativity of Richey's offensive system--a Princeton style on five red bulls--as well as his ability to continuously plug-in good shooters year after year. It's a huge reason suffered little effect from losing over 70% of its scoring from the 2023-24 squad last season. There were shooters on the floor at a high rate for as long as they could be out there without becoming a defensive or rebounding liability.
While Furman had two of its best shooters from three in eight seasons under Richey, in Smith and Anderson, it also had guys like Cooper Bowser, Ben Vander Wal and Garrett Hien that were basically minimal perimeter threats at best, with only Hien really factoring in as a potential long-range threat, and outside of his sophomore season, had struggled to hit from long-range with great efficiency.
So the strategy from the opposition in the SoCon was to play off Furman shooters by a process known as “painting”, which meant it could more closely keep tabs on Anderson and Smith at all times with the luxury of an extra defender by playing off Furman’s non-shooters.
Richey's innovative offensive strategy that used Vander Wal as the quarterback and free screener for both Anderson and Smith down the stretch was nothing short of brilliant because it didn't allow teams to just play off Vander Wal like they had done when Furman took a bit of a tumble in the standings, and it forced the opposition to have get out and engage Vander Wal in some manner with a defender. It was a move that kept teams from essentially having an extra player defensively as it had off-set the balance by making it a 4v5 game before when playing off Vander Wal
Those changes led to a major turnaround for Furman basketball during the 2024-25, as the Paladins would win six-straight games, which included the very team they would lose to in the championship--the Wofford Terriers--to reach the championship game.
Eight letterwinners, including a pair of starters, in Ben Vander Wal (5.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG) and Cooper Bowser (8.3 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 57 BLKs) have built of plenty of equity playing for the Paladins, and the duo enters the season as Furman’s two most veteran players. Vander Wal is the last remaining holdover from the team that won the 2022-23 SoCon crown and has played in 100 games for the Paladins heading into his final season, as well as logging 34 starts.
If there were an award for the league’s best “glue guy” heading into the season it would likely go to Vander Wal, as he does all the little things right for the Paladins.
Bowser is a player that seems primed for a breakout season. The junior is coming off a season where he started to emerge as a more consistent scoring threat around the basket, and at 6-11 with great length, as well as being a freak athlete, he is Furman’s leading returning scorer from a year ago. His length and athleticism started to become a problem for the opposition last season, so expect him to make a huge leap.
Bowser was one of two Paladins selected to the preseason all-conference team, with sharp-shooting Tom House (7.1 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 54 3PT FGs). House is a microwave perimeter shooter, meaning that if he gets hot, he can string together points in a hurry. He put up 21 points in Furman’s first tournament win over Samford and scored a season-high of 26 points in a mid-February win over Mercer. House’s 54 three-point field goals last season rank as the most returning three-pointers on the club, and he shot a blistering 40.6% (54-of-133) from long-range. Interestingly, House shot 56% from three and averaged over 11 PPG in Furman’s final seven games of the season.
One of the more intriguing players on Furman’s roster last season was Charles Johnston (5.3 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 33 3PT FGs), and his progression over the course of the off-season has been notable, according to Richey, especially as a true post player. Johnston spent most of his first season with the ‘Dins as a primary perimeter threat, but now he’s put on some more muscle and dedicated the off-season to becoming more of a low-post threat. Also, Johnston is a sneaky good post defender, and that will be another aspect of his game to watch this season.
More importantly, having both Bowser and Johnston in the lineup at the same time, will allow the Paladins to go with two 6-11 guys on the court at the same time. Johnston shot 38.8% (33-of-85) from three-point range last season, and it’s almost impossible to think that the big man from Australia has played only six years of organized basketball.
Finally, guys like Davis Molnar (3.5 PPG, 2.7 RPG) and Mason Smith (2.9 PPG, 1.7 RPG) are a couple of guys that Richey hopes to see continued progression with this season. For Molnar, he started to be a difference maker in some games, with Furman’s home win over Samford in the first of three meetings between the two coming to mind, providing a crucial inbounds pass to Bowser late in the game, which was not an easy pass against heavy pressure. Molnar saw action in 33 games last season, averaging almost 11 minutes per game.
The real x-factor for the Paladins this season might be Clemson transfer Asa Thomas (Clemson/Lake Forest, Ill) who red-shirted his freshman season and then battled injuries throughout the 2024-25 season while with the Tigers and didn’t see much action. When he entered the portal, the Paladins went after him, forgoing their initial plans to get a point guard. Thomas was available and too talented to pass up.
His ability as a shooter will complement the skill-set Vander Wal already brings to the position. His shooting ability just makes Furman different on the wing than they were last year, and more like they have been in past seasons with guys like Noah Gurley (2018-21) and Daniel Fowler (2014-18) in terms of having that type of scoring versatility.
While the frontcourt is much more the settled piece of the team, the backcourt is somewhat of a concern or maybe a question mark might be the better way of putting it.
Eddrin Bronson (5.6 PPG, 1.6 RPG) is the latest two-guard to make the move to the point guard spot under Richey, joining both Smith and Pegues in that regard. Bronson was already one of the best defensive players on the team last season, and if his offensive game has progressed in the off-season like most believe that it has, it could be case of Furman turning a potential question mark into an advantage much the same way it did when it moved both JP Pegues and PJay Smith Jr. from the two-guard spot into two different seasons and both turned in all-conference campaigns. He showed glimpses of what he could do as a shooter, leading Furman with 14 points in the road loss to No. 1 Kansas, while topping that previous career-high by posting 15 points in the Paladins’ opening round NIT loss at North Texas. He went a combined 7-of-13 (53.8%) from three in those two games, but shot
Bronson is being pushed this preseason by as four-star recruit and 6-5-point guard Alex Wilkins (Brooks School/Mattapan, MA). Wilkins’ game is unlike any Furman has had at any point under Richey or even his predecessor at the quarterback of Furman’s diverse offensive scheme, and that is having a player that is a smooth ball-handler and elite passer on the offensive end combined with the length and athleticism to be a real asset on the defensive end. Wilkins will play a lot and may even end up being the starter for Furman. That’s not to diminish Bronson in any way, who will be playing a new position this season and is a dynamic player in his own right, but rather a testament to just how talented Wilkins is. Adding credibility to that claim is the fact that Wilkins received 33 offers from NCAA Division I programs before settling upon Furman.
Wilkins isn’t the only freshman that the Paladins added either, as Furman found its next big-time 6-5 backcourt talent from much closer to home, in South Carolina “Mr. Basketball” and state leading scorer (35.1 PPG), in Abijah Franklin (Wren HS/Greenville, S.C.). While his status for playing this season—whether he redshirts or plays—remains up in the air, one thing is undeniable and that is his raw ability as a scorer at all three levels.
With players like Devin Sibley (Karns HS/Knoxville, TN), JP Pegues (Hillsborough HS/Nashville TN) and most recently PJay Smith Jr. (LaVergne, TN/Lee University/Goodpasture Christian School) all hailing from Tennessee, the next potentially special talent with a link to Volunteer State is 6-3 guard Collin O’Neal (Montgomery Bell Academy/Nashville, TN) out of Montgomery Bell Academy, where he established himself as a three-star prospect according 247 and Rivals, and an all-state and all-region honoree as a senior. O’Neal is a player that should see some time this season, as Richey mentioned that three of Furman’s five starters would be featured in the rotation this season. He is one of the best athletes on the roster, and his elite skill level and defensive tenacity should be reasons as to why he will see the floor rather than redshirting this season for the Paladins.
The final two additions to the latest recruiting class for Furman are 6-6 wing Cole Bowser (DeMatha Catholic, Bowie MD) and 6-9 power forward Owen Ritger (Marist School/Atlanta, GA), that will give the front court some added depth.
It's my prediction that one of these two players stands the most likely chance to redshirt from this class, but both come into the Furman program with an eye on playing right away and will have the opportunity to do so. In fact, there's also the chance that all five could play as soon as the 2025-26 season.
Cole Bowser is of course Cooper Bowser's little brother, and he comes to Furman from DeMatha Catholic, as he will unite season with his brother, and both will look to join some other great brother tandems to have starred in the league in its rich history, including guys like identical twins Ramon and Damon Williams in the late 1980s at VMI.
Bowser chose Furman among eight offers from others like Bryant, Norfolk State, Old Dominion, Towson and George Washington to name a few of those. The 6-6 small forward is athletic and an outstanding defender, which will give him a chance to play this coming season. He's also versatile but excels as a long-range threat.
Ritger is another player that is versatile, and the 6-9 power forward gives Furman a true four in the paint, rather than having to develop a five into four, which the Paladins have had to do in recent seasons. His ability as a rebounder as well as a shooter from beyond the arc will give the Paladins plenty of ability to stretch the floor when he's in the lineup.
The final addition is 5-10 point guard Gunnar Lewis (Christ Presbyterian Academy/Nashville, TN), who is a great shooter and joined the program as a point guard out of Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville. His ability as a shooter makes him a unique add for the Paladins as a walk-on, which also means he could see time in the Furman backcourt at some point in his career.
Crimson Tide Personnel Preview:
Alabama has already played one official exhibition game, as the Crimson Tide were able to score what was a narrow 109-105 win over Florida State in a game played at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham.
In the win over the Seminoles, the Crimson Tide had a pair of players exceed the 20-point scoring plateau, as point guard Labaron Philon Jr. posted 28 points, while wing guard Aden Holloway added 20, as the Crimson Tide once again showcased an offensive tempo and style that almost was seamless at times in what was a thrilling game and impressive win to open the exhibition season.
Head coach Nate Oats (145-63/entering 7th year at Alabama) enters his seventh season as the head basketball coach in Tuscaloosa, leading a Crimson Tide team off a 28-9 record of a year ago, and has a young, but talented unit that not only expects to contend for the SEC crown once again this season, but also the national championship, despite the loss of four starters, including the likes of both sharp-shooter Mark Sears (18.6 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 5.1 APG) and forward Grant Nelson (11.5 PPG, 7.6 RPG) as well as wing guard Chris Youngblood (10.3 PPG, 2.3 RPG/38.8% 3pt FG%), who all played important roles in Alabama's success over the past couple of seasons, helping lead the Crimson Tide to the 2024 Final Four and the 2025 Elite Eight.
Oats is an offensive innovator, which was apparent from his days back as a mid-major coach himself at Buffalo. Since taking over as the head coach of Crimson Tide basketball program prior to the 2019-20 season, he's had Alabama in the mix for a title in the SEC nearly every season. Since taking over six years ago, no team has won more SEC games than the Tide have, posting 75 league wins over that span.
Over the past five seasons alone, the Crimson Tide have won 129 games, which ranks seventh-most in the country during that span. In terms of style of play, it's different from Furman and maybe even a gear that Furman head coach Bob Richey would likely also admire in terms of the dynamics of, as the Crimson Tide posted an average of 75.3 possessions-per-game per adjusted opponent last season, which was one of the highest in the country.
The Crimson Tide's 90.9 scoring average per game last season was the highest in the country
That trio accounts for three of four starters that must be replaced heading into the 2025-26 campaign. The other starter that must be accounted for is 6-11 rim protector Clifford Omoruyi (7.9 PPG, 6.5 RPG).
That said, the lone returning starters--point guard Labaron Philon Jr. (Preseason 1st Team All-SEC/10.6 PPG and 3.8 APG in 2024-25) is one of the top players in the SEC and is a big reason the Crimson Tide once again find themselves highly fancied in the SEC preseason media and coaches polls, as he will team with Aden Holloway (Preseason 3rd Team All-SEC/11.4 PPG, 1.9 RPG), which will help form one of the top backcourts in the SEC this coming season. Holloway was not a starter a year ago after transferring in from Auburn, however, he proved to be an instrumental piece coming off the bench for Oats' team a year ago.
Along with Auburn star Tahaad Pettiford, Labaron Philon Jr. was easily one of the best freshmen guards in the country last season. Philon saw action in all 37 games for the Crimson Tide last season, making 29 starts, while averaging 10.6 PPG and 3.3 RPG, while dishing out nearly four assists (3.8 APG) in his first season with the program.
Philon Jr. finished the season ranking eighth in the league in assists and was fourth in the league in assist/turnover ratio (2.2). His 1.4 steals-per-game also serves notice to his well-rounded game on both ends of the floor.
Holloway is the Crimson Tide's point guard, and he's a guy that pushes the tempo for Alabama. In fact, the Tide finished the 2024-25 season leading the country in scoring average (90.7 PPG). He was one of the best shooters on a team that shot a solid 35.3% from long-range a year ago, as he connected on 41.2% (87-of-211) from long-range a year ago. His 87 triples in his first season with the Tide ranked him second on the team behind Mark Sears, who connected on 90 last season.
The third guard in that talented backcourt trio for the Crimson Tide will likely be 6-5 Jalil Bethea (7.1 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.2 APG at University of Miami), who transferred into the program from Miami. However, Bethea did not play in the 109-105 exhibition win against Florida State a week-and-a-half ago, and no reason was provided as to why, so we'll assume he was hindered by a minor injury. Bethea was a consensus top five star coming out of high school two years ago, having played at Archbishop Wood High School in Philadelphia.
The guard that ended up taking Bethea's place in the lineup against the Seminoles was one of the five letterwinners returning from a year ago, and one of the four key reserves in Alabama's run to a 28-win season and Elite Eight appearance last season is Houston Mallette (3.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG in 2024-25).
The 6-5 guard was battling some knee injury issues when he arrived in Tuscaloosa to play for the Crimson Tide last summer. Mallette suffered a season-ending injury just six games into his 2024-25 season following coach Oats' decision to burn the Pepperdine transfer's intended redshirt due to an Achilles tear to Crimson Tide graduate senior guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (11.5 PPG in 2023-24).
However, Mallette is now 100% healthy and could be a difference maker as another hired three-point assassin for Oats' club in 2025-26. He spent three seasons at Pepperdine prior to matriculating to Tuscaloosa, scoring 1,295 points with the Waves.
Mallette is another three-point marksman that the Crimson Tide is able to roll out on the floor, and he's made a strong 37.7% (197-of-522) threes in his career with both the Crimson Tide and the Waves, which is interesting when you consider has career path should maybe track to meteorology after his pro basketball career concludes.
Mallette posted 13 points on 2-of-8 shooting from the field, including a 2-for-7 effort from three, and was 7-for-8 from the line in the exhibition win over the 'Noles. He added seven rebounds and a pair of assists to what was a well-rounded performance.
In the frontcourt, the guys to keep an eye on are 6-10 power forward Taylor Bol Bowen (8.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.5 BPG at Florida State in 2024-25) and 7-0 sophomore center Aiden Sherrell (3.4 PPG, 2.8 RPG in 2024-25). Sherrell has progressed along nicely and has a huge upside moving forward, posting four points, four rebounds and a pair of blocks in the exhibition win over the Seminoles.
Bol Bowen headlines what should be a talented frontcourt for the Crimson Tide in 2025-26, featuring both plenty of skill and overall athleticism. What Bol Bowen provides is versatility. He possesses the rare combination low-post scoring with his athleticism, as well as being a three-point marksmen as a big man and could prove to the toughest defensive assignment for opponents when facing off against Alabama in the upcoming season. He shot 41.4% () from long-range a year ago, which is ridiculous to be 6-10.
Bol Bowen excelled in the ACC last season, as his length gave foes problems most nights. In a lot of respects, the ACC and SoCon have more commonalities when it comes to how post players play and how they are built than the SEC and SoCon. It's a whole new ballgame in the SEC, as literally every team has a notable rim protector, which Bowen will obviously be asked to do. In the win over his former team, even the fact that Luke Loucks had a good idea of the scouting report, the Seminoles couldn't prevent Bol Bowen from connecting on 4-of-5 shots from the field, including 3-of-4 from long-range, as he finished the night with 14 points, three rebounds, a block and an assist.
Six-foot-ten sophomore Keitenn Bristow (11.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.4 APG at Tarelton State in 2024-25), 6-8 true freshman forward Amari Allen (4-star recruit and No. 2 player in the state of Wisconsin according to On3/Ashwaunenon HS/Green Bay, WI) and 6-6 true freshman wing guard Davion Hannah (4-star recruit/Link Academy/Milwaukee, WI) are some talented reserves to keep an eye on for the Crimson Tide on Sunday.
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