Alabama men’s basketball has some work to do.

The Crimson Tide could play better defense. Turnovers need to be better limited, as well as the points off them. Free-throw shooting has room to improve, too.

The good news: the Crimson Tide still managed to get out of the game against Florida State with a 109-105 win. And its the first action of the season in an exhibition game. So a lot of that is natural rust.

“They turned us over way too much,” Alabama coach Nate Oats said. “15 turnovers a team is not great. A lot of different areas to improve, and somehow we still figured out how to win a game.”

Guard Labaron Philon led all scorers with 28 points. Guard Aden Holloway also tallied 20 points as he went 10-for-12 from the free-throw line.

Here are three takeaways from the exhibition game between Alabama and Florida State.

Labaron Philon the difference

Philon made a last-second decision to stay with Alabama and remove his name from the NBA Draft. And the Crimson Tide is sure glad he did.

He appears to be the best bucket getter Alabama’s got.

Philon made an impact throughout the game, but it showed most late in the second half. Philon drove to make back-to-back buckets that gave Alabama a 91-87 lead with just under five minutes left.

“Even though it’s an exhibition, I knew coach Oats didn’t want to lose this game,” Philon said. “I just tried to ramp it up a little bit … I was saying in my head: Don’t treat it like an exhibition game, even when it is. Play like it’s a real game. Play like we’re in the playoff. You’ve got to play that hard.”

His scoring and free-throw shooting also proved crucial down the stretch in a tight game into which Florida State kept trying to climb back.

Philon finished the day making 8 of 12 for 28 points, going 3-for-4 from beyond the arc and 9-for-10 from the free-throw line. He also tallied a team-high four assists.

“It’s great to get him back from the draft,” Oats said. “He’s trying to play his way up in the draft. His ability to get downhill, create offense, I think it’s been good. I think you’re going to see a lot of that with the shooting we’re going to be able to put on the floor.”

Taylor Bol Bowen shows flashes

One of the most prized pieces in Alabama’s transfer portal class already looks to be money well spent.

He looked like a difference maker at times for the Crimson Tide. By halftime, he had scored 11 points (3-for-4), and grabbed two rebounds, tallied an assist and stole one ball over 12 minutes. He also made multiple triples before the break.

He cooled off in the second half some, but the Florida State transfer already looks like he’s going to provide a threat from beyond the arc for the Alabama offense if the exhibition is any indication. At 6-foot-10, 202 pounds, Bol Bowen has a chance to thrive in this offense as the four-spot.

He tallied 14 points, three rebounds, a block and a steal in his Alabama debut. Bol Bowen went 3-for-4 from deep.

Keitenn Bristow provides valuable minutes

Bristow didn’t start, and he likely won’t often be a starter this season. But he’s going to give the Crimson Tide good minutes and provide quality play off the bench.

He did Thursday.

Bristow scored back-to-back buckets in the first half, the first that erased the deficit and the second that gave Alabama the lead up 27-25. Then he scored another. That marked three consecutive buckets from Bristow, a key piece of Alabama’s first-half run that gave Alabama a 43-32 lead.

Unfortunately for the Crimson Tide, it couldn’t hold onto that lead. But Bristow kept working in the second half in a game that was often a one-to-two bucket battle.

Bristow finished with 13 points (6 of 10 shooting) with six rebounds and two assists over 19 minutes.

Up next

The second exhibition game for the Crimson Tide will be against Furman on Oct. 26. Then the Crimson Tide will begin the regular season against North Dakota on Monday, Nov. 3 at Coleman Coliseum.

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