TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — After opening its season with a 75-54 victory over Longwood earlier this week, No. 20 Alabama basketball will look to keep its momentum going Friday when it hosts Liberty at 7 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum.

Liberty was selected to win the Atlantic Sun Conference by both the media and league coaches. The Flames also feature the ASUN’s preseason player of the year in senior guard Darius McGhee, who averaged 24.6 points, while shooting 45.6% from the floor and 39% from beyond the arc last season.

Liberty is already off to a fast start this year after opening its season with a 104-38 victory over Regent University.

Here’s everything you need to know about Friday’s game.

Who: No. 20 Alabama (1-0) vs. Liberty (1-0)

When: 7 p.m. CT, Friday, Nov. 11

Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Watch: SEC Network+ (play-by-play: Roger Hoover; analyst: Mikhail Torrance)

Listen: Crimson Tide Sports Network (play-by-play: Chris Stewart; analyst: Bryan Passink; engineer Tom Stipe)

Mark Sears: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, junior

Stats: 12.0 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, 18.2% FG, 20.0% 3-pt

Nimari Burnett: 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.0 apg, 16.7% FG, 0.0% 3-pt

Brandon Miller: 6-foot-9, 200 pounds, freshman

Stats: 14.0 ppg, 13.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 42.9% FG, 0.0% 3-pt

Noah Clowney: 6-foot-10, 210 pounds, freshman

Stats: 9.0 ppg, 11.0, rpg, 0.0 apg, 57.1% FG, 0.0% 3-pt

Charles Bediako: 7-foot, 225 pounds, freshman

Stats: 8.0 ppg, 12.0, rpg, 1.0 apg, 57.1% FG

Darius McGhee: 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, redshirt freshman

Stats: 17.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 5.0 apg, 60.0% FG, 62.5% 3-pt

Colin Porter: 5-foot-9, 145 pounds, freshman

Stats: 5.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 8.0 apg, 25.0% FG, 33.3% 3-pt

Joseph Venzant: 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 10.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 100% FG, 100% 3-pt

Shiloh Robinson: 6-foot-7, 210 pounds, senior

Stats: 6.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 0.0 apg, 25.0% FG, 0.0% 3-pt

Kyle Rode: 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, senior

Stats: 5.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 3.0 apg, 40.0% FG, 25% 3-pt

Nate Oats isn’t too worried about his team’s slow start from beyond the arc. Alabama made just 3 of 22 from 3-point range during its charity exhibition against Southern Illinois before shooting 3 of 28 from deep in its season opener against Longwood on Monday.

Following Thursday’s practice, Oats shook off any talk of a slump, crediting some of the long-range struggles to nerves from the Crimson Tide’s newcomers. All but two of Alabama’s 3-point attempts came from players making their debuts. Freshmen Noah Clowney, Rylan Griffen and Brandon Miller combined to shoot 2 of 17 from deep while Ohio transfer Mark Sears was 1 of 5 from deep. Nimari Burnett, who sat out all of last season with a knee injury, also struggled, going 0-for-4 from range.

“There may have been some jitters to some of that,” Oats said. “I didn’t make a big deal of it. I told our guys I’ve seen them make enough shots in practice and the foreign trip. I’m not too worried about the shooting. As long as we get good shots, we’ll shoot a decent percentage.”

Alabama’s length should be on display Friday night as the Crimson Tide holds a considerable size advantage over Liberty. The Flames feature a pair of 5-foot-9 starters in McGhee and freshman Colin Porter. Meanwhile, Alabama has nine players listed at 6-foot-5 or taller, including five who stand in at over 6-foot-7.

While the Crimson Tide might be literally looking down at their opponents Friday night, the team holds a healthy level of respect for Liberty heading into the matchup.

“Liberty’s a great team. They’re one of those schools who if you’re not ready, they’ll take it from you,” said 7-foot Alabama center Charles Bediako. “With our length, hopefully, we just stick to the plan. Whatever the coaching staff has to tell us how to cover them, that’s what we’re going to do. I’m sure our length will play a big role in that, so we’ll stick with it.”

Liberty will look to combat Alabama’s height advantage with a half-court offense that slows the game down by taking possessions late into the shot clock. Thursday, Oats said the patient approach should provide an early test for his inexperienced roster.

“Whether you’ve got length or not, if you make a mistake you’re going to have to pay,” Oats said. “We’ve got a lot of young freshmen, inexperienced guys. It’s going to be hard for them to guard the whole 30 seconds.”

Dom Welch will have to wait a bit longer before making his Alabama debut. Thursday, Oats said the St. Bonaventure transfer guard is doubtful to play in Friday’s game after missing Monday’s opener with a lower-body injury.

"He's trying to get back in practice a little bit more but it was coming slow and we just want to make sure that hetakes the time that he needs to fully heal because we need him fully healthy as quick as we can get him fully healthy,” Oats said. “We don't want him partially healthy for a long time. We'd like to get him back fully healthy. Doubtful for this game, hopeful for next week but we'll see what he feels like [Friday] morning."

Last season, Welch averaged 12.3 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 41.4 percent from the floor and 37.4 percent from beyond the arc. Over his four years at St. Bonaventure, he scored 1,198 points and ranked third in the program's history for career 3-pointers (257).

— Liberty has 105 wins the last four seasons, the fourth most in the country during that span.

— Darius McGhee is the only Division I player in the last 30 seasons to score 800 points, grab 145 rebounds, record 115 assists, and make 140 three-pointers in a single campaign, doing so last season. He has scored in double figures in 29 straight games, which is the second-longest active streak in Division I.

— Liberty has eight wins over Power Five schools in the last six seasons, including the school’s first-ever win in the NCAA Tournament in 2019 over Mississippi State.