The most talented roster in Alabama basketball history will make its debut Monday night as the No. 2 seed Crimson Tide tips off its season against UNC Asheville inside Coleman Coliseum.

Alabama’s No. 2 ranking in the Associated Press top-25 poll is the highest its ever started the season. The Tide was also picked to win the SEC for just the third time in program history.

Alabama returns five members from last year’s Final Four run, including starters Mark Sears, Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Grant Nelson as well as reserves Jarin Stevenson and Mo Dioubate.

The Tide brought in a quartet of talented transfers, including Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi, Auburn guard Aden Holloway, South Florida guard Chris Youngblood and Pepperdine guard Houston Mallette.

Alabama also signed the nation’s No. 3 recruiting class, featuring McDonald’s All-Americans Derrion Reid and Aiden Sherell as well as fellow Rivals100 talents Labaron Philon and Naas Cunningham.

Here’s everything you need to know about Alabama’s opener.

Who: No. 2 Alabama vs. UNC Asheville

When: 8 p.m. CT, Monday, Nov. 4

Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Watch: ESPNU (play-by-play: Dave Neal, analyst: Richard Hendrix)

Listen: Crimson Tide Sports Network | SIRIUS/XM 134/201 (play-by-play: Chris Stewart, analyst: Bryan Passink, engineer: Tom Stipe)

Mark Sears: 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, graduate

Stats: 21.5 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 4.2 apg, 50.8% FG, 43.6% 3-pt

Latrell Wrightsell Jr: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, graduate

Stats: 8.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.4 apg, 44.6% FG, 44.7% 3-pt

Labaron Philon: 6-foot-4, 177 pounds, freshman

Stats: N/A

Derrion Reid: 6-foot-8, 220 pounds, freshman

Stats: N/A

Clifford Omoruyi: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds, graduate

Stats: 10.4 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 0.5 apg, 51.2% FG, 20.0% 3-pt

Josh Banks: 6-foot-5, 175 pounds, fifth-year senior

2023-24 stats: 12.8 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.1 apg, 41.9% FG, 39.5% 3-pt

Fletcher Abnee: 6-foot-4, 190 pounds, fifth-year senior

2023-24 stats: 10.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 1.3 apg, 40.9% FG, 40.8% 3-pt

Justin Wright: 6-foot-2, 185 pounds, fifth-year senior

2023-24 stats: 11.1 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 1.9 apg, 49% FG, 30.8% 3-pt

Toyaz Soloman: 6-foot-9, 185 pounds, senior

2023-24 stats: 6.0 ppg, 3.0rpg, 0.6 apg, 69.6% FG, 20.0% 3-pt

Greg Gantt Jr.: 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, fifth-year senior

2023-24 stats: 1.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.6 apg, 50% FG

Alabama will be close to full strength for Monday night’s opener. According to a report from The Field of 68’s Jeff Goodman, Wrightsell, Nelson and Sherrell have all been cleared to play following minor injuries. The trio is expected to come off the bench with each member on a minutes restriction.

Last week, Oats said Wrigthsell was the furthest along of the three while stating he was optimistic about getting Nelson and Sherrell back as well. All three have been able to practice on a restricted basis.

Wrightsell and Nelson were key contributors during Alabama’s Final Four run last season, while Sherrell joined the team as the No. 3 power forward and No. 20 overall player in this year’s class

Nelson started all 37 games last season, scoring in double figures 24 times. He led the team with 217 rebounds and 60 blocks while averaging 11.9 points per game.

Wrightsell started 12 games over 31 appearances. The sharp-shooting guard made 44.7% of his 3-point attempts and was a perfect 27 of 27 from the free-throw line.

Sherrell comes to Alabama as a McDonald’s All-American. He averaged 18.8 points and 9.3 rebounds per game in the Overtime Elite League.

Alabama will still be without guard Chris Youngblood, who suffered a leg injury that required surgery. The South Florida transfer is expected to be out until the middle of December.

With Nelson and Sherrell on minutes restrictions, Alabama could get a bit creative in the frontcourt. One solution might be Dioubate, as the versatile sophomore forward performed well in both of the Tide’s exhibition games this offseason. Last week, head coach Nate Oats suggested that the 6-foot-7 forward could even spend time at the center position in some smaller lineups if needed.

“I think we are going to be able to use Mo Dioubate as a change-up at the five some,” Oats said. “Other teams may not necessarily view him as a five when you put him on the floor with, like, Grant Nelson. But maybe he’d play him more like the five, Grant more like the four, but Grant guards the five. I think he’s good, I think he’s really good.”

Dioubate is known for his blue-collar playing style and defensive intensity off the bench. During his freshman season, he averaged 2.9 points and 2.4 rebounds over 7.7 minutes per game. While Dioubate isn’t much of a shooter, he did hit a 3 in both of Alabama’s exhibition games. That being said, his best fit is down low where he can fight for rebounds and put-backs in the paint.

— Nate Oats’ 117 wins in his first five seasons at Alabama are the most in program history over a five-year span.

— Alabama is the only team in Division I that has three players on its roster who have started 100 career games in their careers. Youngblood leads the way with 118 starts, followed by Sears (114 starts) and Omoruyi (104 starts).

— The Crimson Tide is the only team with six players who have scored 1,000 or more career points. Sears leads tops the list with 2,151 career points followed by Youngblood (1,732), Nelson (1,483 points), Mallette (1,295 points), Omoruyi (1,251 points) and Wrightsell (1,074 points).

— Sears joins Erwin Dudley (2003) as the only players in program history to be named as the SEC Preseason Player of the Year. Sears was also named Preseason National Player of the Year by Blue Ribbon Magazine along with being an Associated Press Preseason All-America selection and an NABC Player of the Year candidate

— Sears was the only Division I player last season that had 795 points, 150 rebounds, 145 assists and 95 3-pointers this season and the only player in the last 31 years to reach the milestone.