The 20th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide stomped a mudhole in the Sam Houston State Bearkats 96-74.

After a sluggish start, the 20th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide eventually found their footing, stomping a mudhole in the Sam Houston State Bearkats in a 96-74 victory.

It was a full team effort, with the defense standing tall. Coach Nate Oats announced after the game that Alabama forced 23 turnovers, which is the most in program history since 2012.

While several players stood out for different reasons, there were also a few performances worth keeping an eye on as Alabama moves further into its schedule.

Jemison was easily Alabama’s most efficient player, making his first five shots and first three 3-pointers. If Jemison can keep this efficiency up, he'll make a compelling case for more playing time as the season progresses.

Last season, Jemison was effective off the bench, but in just 15 minutes per game, it was hard for him to get into a real rhythm. It’ll be a different test taking on SEC opponents, but if his shot continues to fall, that’s a major advantage.

The transfer out of Boise State won over the Crimson Tide faithful last night, after showcasing exactly what blue-collar basketball looks like.

Fielder can do it all. He can shoot the perimeter jumper if needed, he can run the floor on the fastbreak, and he’s incredibly active on the offensive glass. Out of his six rebounds, four of them were offensive.

This was a highly disappointing game for the sophomore combo guard.

During the offseason, there was real curiosity about whether Allen would return to college, or enter the NBA Draft, after multiple mock drafts projected him to go in the first round.

Despite some lingering questions about his game, opted to stay. Last night did not help his case to NBA scouts.

Facing a program like Sam Houston State should’ve been the perfect jumpstart for Allen to announce his arrival. Instead, we saw Allen rushing shots and missing 3s. And when you’re playing for a Nate Oats-coached team, you need to make your 3s, and you have to be smart with the ball.

Allen didn’t commit any turnovers, but his shot selection was awfully questionable.

Last week, we highlighted both freshmen Samuels and Tarris Bouie as staples to Alabama’s program for the next year or two. 

Neither disappointed.

While Samuels' shooting numbers weren't particularly impressive, the eye test told a different story.. Samuels looked incredibly poised with the ball in his hand, dribbling it around like it was strung onto his finger. 

The shot may not have fallen for him, but Alabama has a star in the making in Samuels.

Garrison is one of the players that I was most curious about coming into this season.

His limited impact at Kentucky raised some questions about what he could bring to Alabama, but there was clearly some potential worth exploring

He looked active down low with three offensive rebounds, and had great hands on defense, by recording three steals and two blocks.

It’s a small sample size, but early returns tell us that this was a quality addition.

Bouie is explosive. When I wrote about him earlier last week, I didn't think I was expecting to see such bounce from him.

He can get up if needed, whether it be for a highlight dunk, or even if he’s grabbing a rebound. There was one rebound he grabbed where it looked as if he was floating – that’s how high he got up.

Beyond his athleticism, he’s an effective shot maker, and someone who fills that sharpshooter role that an Oats’ system requires, even when Aden Holloway returns.

Cole Cloer – This was a rough game for the NC State transfer, going 1-9 from the field and 0-6 from 3. The one shot he made was during garbage time.

Cloer was renowned for his ability to drain outside shots. After one game, it’s too early to panic, but not too early to notice.

Anderson Diaz – You want to talk about the most fascinating player on the team, look no further than Diaz.

He reclassified to play in Alabama this season, but you can tell Diaz has such a natural feel for the game. He’s fluid in his movements, is skilled beyond belief, and his speed is a difference maker.

Of course, Diaz is still incredibly young, and that showed at times. There were plenty of times where Diaz lost control of the offense, or made a silly play in transition. 

He’ll learn, but it was hard to do a story like this and not mention him.