The final box score may have said that the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Arkansas State Red Wolves 101-86, but this game was a grind.

For a team that prides itself on its pace and perimeter shooting, there was a whole lot of pace, but not a whole lot of buckets from the Tide.

Arkansas State outshot Alabama, making 42% of its field goals, and 38.5% from 3, whereas Alabama shot 35.5% from the field and 30% from 3.

The biggest difference between the two teams was Alabama's offensive rebounding.. It finished the game with 21 offensive rebounds, including 20 in the first half.

We also saw Amari Allen record a triple-double, the fifth in program history. The last came from Aaron Estrada in February 2024.

Needless to say, this game offered plenty to talk about, so let’s see who improved their stock, and who hurt theirs.

Brandon Garrison: Garrison offers a unique dynamic to this roster. Standing 6-foot-10 and weighing 255 pounds, Garrison has the raw strength to take over in the post on both ends of the floor. But that's not all he offers.

There were several instances last night where Garrison brought the ball up the floor, attacked the basket off the dribble, or even attempted a 3-pointer.

Coach Nate Oats sang Garrison’s praises prior to last night’s game. His active hands on defense have helped Alabama force turnovers with 10 deflections during Opening Night. Last night, Oats awarded him with the team’s Hard Hat Award for the second consecutive game, where he recorded 14 points, 10 rebounds and a steal.

Amari Allen: Opening Night against Sam Houston State was not one of Allen’s best games, but he made up for it in a major way with a triple double.

Let’s get this out of the way. Allen is not a natural shooter, and even though he can hit the perimeter jumper every now and then, his best traits are when he pushes the pace and his defense.

I was a bit skeptical on how Allen would fare this season as the primary ball handler. And admittedly, after Opening Night, I didn’t think this experiment would work. But last night Allen took control of the offense. 

When the ball wasn’t in his hands, he was dictating the offense. When he brought the ball up, he kept his head up to keep an eye for an open man. When he spotted an open teammate, he wasn't afraid to make the long-distance pass to create a fastbreak opportunity.

Perhaps he’s not a gifted ball handler, but he can run an offense well.

Tarris Bouie: Through two games, I keep on leaving extremely impressed with Bouie.

The calling card on Bouie’s game out of high school is that he’s a naturally gifted athlete who still needs to put it all together.

The thing is, this looks like a player who thinks and sees the game at a high level. His offensive gifts are apparent. He’s explosive, he can shoot the perimeter jumper and knows when to dish the ball to a teammate. But his defensive skills were what stood out.

He’s quick on his feet, and stays in front of his man. Even when Alabama's defense gets out of position, Bouie does a good job recognizing the breakdown and recovering to contest the open man.

Keitenn Bristow: If there’s one player that’s going to hold this team together, it’s Bristow.

He was one of the most important players on the defensive side of the ball, recording three blocks. However, he had tremendously active feet on offense, as he hauled in five offensive rebounds, tying for the team lead with Allen and Jamarion Davis-Fleming.

Alabama can get erratic at times, which is understandable considering how young this team is. But whenever things started getting out of control, Bristow was there to settle things down.

Qayden Samuels: There’s no doubt that Samuels is incredibly gifted, but it’s about putting all his gifts together into a finished product.

He finished 3-for-13 from the field and 3-for-10 from 3-point range, but made all eight of his free throws to put together a 17-point performance.

As a true freshman, there’s going to be growing pains. It’s better for Samuels to deal with his growing pains early in the season.

Cole Cloer: Once again, Cloer could not find his shot, and it seems like he’s trying to force the issue.

To start the season, Cloer has gone 1-12 from 3, and 2-16 from the field.

Richard Hendrix, the color commentator for tonight’s game suggested that Cloer should attempt to make an easy basket so he can see the ball go through the hoop.

Cloer's biggest strength coming into the season was his outside shooting. But with that shot not falling, he's struggled to find other ways to contribute offensively.

Cloer isn't a one-trick pony by any means. Coming out of high school, he was renowned for his athleticism and has shown an underrated presence in the post.

But as of now, Cloer seems to be insistent on finding his 3-pointer to fall instead of finding other ways to contribute.