It’s been a while since Alabama basketball has had a start like this. The No. 22 Crimson Tide has eclipsed the century mark in each of its first three games of the season, a feat it last reached during the 1956-57 season when it started with four straight 100-point performances.

Alabama (3-0) will look to keep that momentum Friday when it hosts Mercer (1-2) inside Coleman Coliseum. Friday’s matchup will be the Tide’s final tuneup before traveling to Florida next week for the Emerald Coast Classic.

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

Who: No. 22 Alabama (3-0) vs. Mercer (1-2)

When: 7 p.m. CT, Friday, Nov. 17

Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Watch: SECN+/ESPN+ (play-by-play: Gray Robertson; analyst: Richard Hendrix)

Listen: (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Analyst: Bryan Passink, Engineer: Tom Stipe)

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

Stats: 18.0 ppg, 4.0 apg, 4.7. rpg, 63.6% FG, 70.0% 3-pt

Aaron Estrada: 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Graduate Student

Stats: 17.0 ppg, 2.7 apg, 5.0 rpg, 55.9% FG, 61.5% 3-pt

Rylan Griffen: 6-foot-6, 190 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 6.3 ppg, 1.0 apg, 2.3 rpg, 45.5% FG, 42.9% 3-pt

Grant Nelson: 6-foot-11, 230 pounds, senior

Stats: 16.7 ppg, 3.0 apg, 6.7 rpg, 55.6% FG, 28.6% 3-pt

Nick Pringle: 6-foot-10, 230 pounds, senior

Stats: 6.3 ppg, 0.3 apg, 5.0 rpg, 72.5% FG

Anthony Benard: 5-foot-10, 170 pounds, freshman

Stats: 4.7 ppg, 2.3 apg, 1.0 rpg, 54.5% FG

Robby Carmody: 6-foot-4, 205 pounds, senior

Stats: 12.0 ppg, 1.3 apg., 2.7 rpg, 58.8% FG, 50.0% FT

Jah Quinones: 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, sophomore

Stats: 7.0 ppg, 1.3 apg, 2.3 rpg, 41.2% FG, 33.3% 3-pt

Jalyn McCreary: 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, senior

Stats: 14.0 ppg, 0.3 apg, 5.3 rpg, 55.2% FG, 100% 3-pt

Alex Holt: 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, junior

Stats: 7.5 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 62.5% FG

Last week, freshman guard Davin Cosby had his name mentioned for the wrong reasons as head coach Nate Oats used him as one of the examples of how young players can struggle defensively at the college level.

He needed to hear that.

“I actually thank him for calling me out,” Cosby said Thursday. “That’s something we take pride in as a team, trying to just get our defense better as one. When I saw that, I took it personal and had to make sure my defense was great for the next game and the rest of the season.”

After struggling defensively against Indiana State, Cosby bounced back during Alabama’s 102-46 victory over South Alabama on Tuesday, recording a steal to go with 8 points and two assists over a season-high 16 minutes. That was part of an improved defensive effort from the Crimson Tide as it held the Jaguars to 23.3% from the floor.

Oats is pleased with the improvement but is still looking for more from his team moving forward.

“We were much better against South, but South also didn’t make us pay on some mistakes,” he said Thursday. “They missed some shots. We can’t think just because they shot so poor — some of those were missed shots. While we did play a lot harder and a lot better on defense, we’ve got to improve even more. Mercer’s got some guys on their team that could make us pay if we screw up like we did on some of our mistakes against South Alabama.”

A lot has been made about transfer starters Aaron Estrada (Hofstra) and Grant Nelson (North Dakota State), who are averaging 17.0 points and 16.7 points respectively for Alabama through their first three games. However, the Crimson Tide has also received some transfer production off the bench from Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (Cal State Fullerton) and Mo Wague (West Virginia)

Wrightsell Jr. has served as Alabama’s sixth man so far, leading all bench players with 21.3 minutes per game. The 6-foot-3, 190-pound senior has made the most of those minutes, averaging 6.3 points and 1.7 steals while shooting 50% (5 of 10) from beyond the arc.

“He’s making shots at a high clip, and he can really, really be a tough defender,” Oats said. “He’s tough, physical, gritty. He’s who we kind of want our Blue Collar Basketball culture to be about. He’s all about that. We anticipate getting a couple good years out of him. He’s got the chance to have some really, really good games with how well he shoots it.”

Wague also offers a bit of grit off the bench, averaging 6.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks over 12 minutes. The 6-foot-10, 225-pound junior is coming off a season-best performance against South Alabama, recording 10 points and 7 rebounds while shooting 5 of 5 from the floor.

Alabama played all 11 of its available scholarship players 10 or more minutes during its blowout win over South Alabama earlier this week. The Tide might be in a position to empty out its bench again Friday against what figures to be another overmatched opponent in Mercer. However, the competition will begin to ratchet up for Alabama next week when it travels to Destin, Florida for the Emerald Coast Classic.

Alabama will open up the invitational against Ohio State on Nov. 24. From there it will play either Oregon or Santa Clara. Those opponents figure to push the Tide a bit more and will likely call for it to trim down its rotation.

“The talent will get better with better teams, and we have to be better,” Oats said. “Obviously by that game, there’s a good chance it’s a tight game for most of the 40 minutes and you’re gonna play the guys who give you the best chance to win. So your rotation may have to get tighter by then. Now if all 11 guys that are available are playing great, it may not get tight by that point, but we’ve got some guys who have separated themselves a little bit.”

Oats singled out Mark Sears, Estrada and Nelson as three of the players who have stood out among rest of the roster so far this season. Rylan Griffin and Nick Pringle have also started all three of the Crimson Tide’s games so far.

Wrightsell, Wague and true freshman Jarin Stevenson all figure to be part of the rotation moving forward as well based off early performances. After that players like Cosby, as well as fellow freshmen Sam Walters and Mo Dioubate, will look to fight for significant playing time.

That group will have another important audition Friday night against Mercer.