Alabama Basketball vs Arkansas State: 3 Keys, How to Watch

Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide return to Coleman Coliseum Friday night against Arkansas State, looking to go 2-0 after taking care of Sam Houston State in Tuesday’s season opener.

Former Oats assistant Ryan Pannone begins his second season in Jonesboro after taking over the program in 2025. Like his old boss, Pannone favors an uptempo offense with an emphasis on layups, frees and threes. Alabama has played the Red Wolves four times, winning all four, most recently in 2024 when the Tide escaped 88-79.

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Last season, Arkansas State finished 20-12 overall and 11-7 in Sun Belt play, averaging 83 points on 28 three point attempts per game, while allowing 77. The Red Wolves were tough on the glass, outrebounding opponents by eight, but had a tendency to get sloppy with the basketball with 14 turnovers a night.

Like most head coaches these days Pannone had to manage plenty of turnover in the offseason, losing his top three scorers from the 2025-26 squad. But, Sun Belt coaches certainly don’t believe that the cupboard is bare as the Red Wolves were picked to win the league per the preseason straw poll.

Players to Watch:

G Tameron Ferguson, 6’4″ junior

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Ferguson arrives from Division II Augustana, where he averaged 20 points and 6.5 assists last season while shooting 36% from three point range. He was the clear leader of the squad in their opening win over Toledo, pouring in 20 points, including 3-4 from deep, while adding seven boards and three assists.

G Royal Blue Smith, 6’4″ sophomore

Smith is the only returnee to get the start in the season opener. He appeared in 27 games last season but started only three, and this year looks to carve out a bigger role. He played 23 minutes in the opener and had a poor shooting night, but he was active with 12 shot attempts, five rebounds and four assists.

G Layne Taylor, 5’11” junior

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A transfer from Murray State, Taylor averaged 8.0 points and 3.2 assists last season while shooting 34.5% from three-point range….

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Publish date : 2026-11-06 16:29:00

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