TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Everyone was wondering what Alabama would look like after losing players like Brandon Miller, Noah Clowney, and Jahvon Quinerly. After a 32 point win over Morehead State, those question have been subsided.

The Crimson Tide used great performances from transfers Grant Nelson and Aaron Estrada, along with 13 points from Mark Sears to defeat the Eagles. Nelson, a transfer from North Dakota State, lead the way with 24 points on 7/12 shooting. He added seven rebounds, two blocks, and one steal to his stat line, with a couple of highlight plays.

“I knew (Grant) was super skilled, 24 and seven is pretty good” said Head Coach Nate Oats. “He’s been in the gym working on his shooting. I envision him playing similar to what he played tonight.” Oats added.

Estrada had 16 points on 7/10 shooting in his first game since transferring from Hofstra. His night also included three rebounds and two steals. Mark Sears was one of three returning players in the starting five, and looked liked it with 13 points, five assists, and five rebounds. His two steals also contributed to the Crimson Tide forcing 15 turnovers and scoring 29 points off them.

“Aaron and Mark got us going early, which is huge. The backcourt is going to be a strong suit for us going forward” Oats said.

Morehead State was lead by Riley Minix, who had 19 points and five rebounds. Jordan Lathon and Drew Thelwell also contributed double-digit points for the Eagles. While they never lead in the game, this was still a team that was picked to win the Ohio Valley Conference and were able to score 36 points in the paint on a lengthy Alabama squad.

With the Alabama offense playing the way it was however, the idea that this team has to change it style was proven wrong. Alabama shot over 40 percent from three, and over 50 percent from the field. Nate Oats loves fast paced offense, and it showed out again tonight just how effective it could be.

“There’s no freer basketball than Alabama basketball” Grant Nelson said postgame.

The biggest concern from the game tonight is the defense. Giving up 73 points and having three of the Eagles starters having double-digit points is not ideal. Alabama was using the turnover to really stop Morehead, and it did work as the team had 13 steals. However, that it not going to work all the time, and giving up a lot on the inside it something to monitor.

“The point of emphasis we’ve been making it trying to force more steals” Oats said. “We got to get a lot better on defense. We are not where we need to be” he added.

Still, it was a 32 point win against a pretty good mid-major school. With all of the talent that left Alabama over the summer, getting a win like this is a big step. All 11 scholarship players were able to get double-digit minutes, which shows the depth that this team has in comparison to last years.

Jari Stevenson racked up 12 points in 21 minutes off the bench, and Sam Walters had some good moments in his 15 minutes on the court.  While these might not be the players everyone talks about during the season, having this level of depth was much needed for Alabama. It’s hard to replace all the contribution the team lost, but if you can replicate it with multiple players, that is a great thing.

Alabama’s next game is against the Indiana State Sycamores on Friday in Tuscaloosa. While it has been a while since Larry Bird played there, the current team is 1-0 after a 90-60 win over Saint Mary-of-the-Woods Pomeroy. Indiana State is coming off a 23-13 season, and is projected to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference. That game will be on the SEC Network + at 8 pm.

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