Nate Oats opens his eighth season in Tuscaloosa tonight , facing Sam Houston St. at Coleman Coliseum.
Head coach Chris Mudge begins his fourth season leading the Bearkats after taking over the program in 2023. He was promoted after serving as an assistant under former coach Jason Hooten, providing continuity as the school transitioned from the WAC into Conference USA.
Like Oats, Mudge prefers to push the pace. The Bearkats ranked 45th in the nation last season at just over 82 points per game, and shot 36.6% from three with solid volume. They also rebounded the ball reasonably well en route to a 22-win season and NIT invite.
But, life as a quality midmajor in this era means your roster is likely to be pillaged, and Mudge's program was not immune. Two key contributors from last season, Kashie Natt and Jacob Walker, leave 22 points per game to replace after being pulled away by Oklahoma State. That isn't to suggest that the cupboard is bare, however.
PG Justin Begg, 6'0" junior
Begg runs the point as the unquestioned captain of the Sam Houston squad. The former George Mason product averaged 9.5 points and 3.6 assists in 22 appearances last season, starting every game he played. He hasn't shown an elite three point stroke, but can knock one down if left open.
SG Zion Pipkin, 6'1" junior
Pipkin arrives after a productive season at South Plains College, where he averaged 13.2 points while shooting 45.5% from three-point range. Mudge hopes that Pipkin can be a complementary perimeter scoring threat to Begg.
F Enel St. Bernard, 6'6" senior
A transfer from Indiana State, St. Bernard averaged 5.9 points and 5.5 rebounds last season while shooting 66.9% from the floor. He will be giving away substantial size in this one, but is a solid athlete who plays with high effort.
C Matt Dann, 7'1" sophomore
Hailing from Canada, Dann appeared in 31 games last season as a key reserve and will now get his opportunity to be The Man in the middle. The big man did not attempt a three pointer last season.
1. Who will handle the basketball with Holloway out?
With Aden Holloway serving a suspension for the first two regular-season games, Oats will need to find someone to run point. Qayden Samuels, Amari Allen, and Tarris Bouie all brought the ball up at times in the preseason, and they will probably handle the ball quite a bit in this one. Anderson Diaz should get a look as well if he is able to go, though Nate will probably ease him in. Diaz is considered doubtful for tonight.
2. What will the frontcourt rotation look like?
Brandon Garrison and Drew Fielder will likely start the game, but Keitenn Bristow showed out in the exhibitions and Jamarion Davis-Fleming showed plenty of hustle when he wasn't in foul trouble. If Nate wants to go small, Fielder can slide down to center and allow Jemison to slide down to the stretch four spot.
3. How much have the defense and rebounding improved?
Simply put, Nate Oats vowed to put a tougher team on the floor this season and every roster move has reflected that. This Alabama team looks quite long when the opponent has the ball, particularly since wings are running the point. Effort wasn't lacking in preseason action, but the results on the defensive end weren't always great.
Date:Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Tipoff:6:30 p.m. CT
Location:Coleman Coliseum
TV:None
Streaming:ESPN app/SEC Network+
Welcome to another season of Alabama basketball.
Roll Tide!
