Alabama men’s basketball showcased its depth and controlled the tempo in its 105-73 win over Morehead State on Monday.

The No. 24 Crimson Tide was red hot from the field all game and played 11 of its 12 scholarship players as Alabama coach Nate Oats tinkered with a multitude of different lineups.

Here are three takeaways from Alabama's win over Morehead State:

Two new and high-profile additions to Oats’ squad showed why they deserved all the hype in their first appearances of the 2023/24 campaign. Forward Grant Nelson and guard Aaron Estrada looked fantastic in their debuts and already seem to have a grasp on Oats’ run-fast, shoot-often system.

Nelson showed off his versatility as a forward and operated in the high and low post, flashed some self creation and slashing ability and even brought the ball up the floor a few times.

Nelson also switched well on defense and was able to step out and challenge Morehead State’s guards. He capped off his performance with a high-flying, one-handed dunk with just over six minutes left in the second half and finished with 24 points, seven rebounds, one assist and two blocks. Just as he stated on a few occasions before the season.

"I think Grant will be in the NBA next year," Oats said. "I think he's shown a skillset that the NBA wants at his size and I think he is going to definitely be one of the best players in the SEC and it's great that we've got him."

Oats again said that Nelson can make it to the next level. He pointed to a few examples of players he's helped get there, including Brandon Miller, who was in attendance Monday.

Estrada scored the first points of Alabama’s season with a corner 3. He was the standout performer in the first half shooting 6-for-8 from the field. He demonstrated his ability to get to the rim, which Oats praised before the season, and finished with 16 points, three assists, three boards and two steals

Oats emphasized the importance of Alabama starting games quickly after the Crimson Tide fell into a hole early in its preseason scrimmage against TCU.

Alabama wasted no time Monday, starting the game off on a 9-0 run. The Crimson Tide moved the ball well and didn’t force too many shots in the first half. Mark Sears helped establish Alabama’s tempo and all of the Crimson Tide's rotation players seemed to understand their roles. Alabama averaged over 1.5 points per possession and hit 58.6% of its shots in the opening period.

The Crimson Tide also controlled the pace for much the first half with tenacious defense. Alabama turned 10 Eagles turnovers into 23 points on the offensive end and utilized a full-court press to prevent Morehead State from getting comfortable.

While a large portion of the first half was strong it was bound to be deemed imperfect by Oats’ high standards. Oats said after the game that the Crimson Tide is not where it wants to be defensively. Alabama also went on a 3:28 scoring drought to finish the first period.

"I was pleased with where are heads were at to start the game," Oats said. "I did think we had a little bit of a let down at some various points but we were able to turn it back up so there's plenty of stuff we need to work on particularly on the defensive end."

Alabama possesses a versatile group of forwards that Oats already looks to be experimenting with this season.

The Crimson Tide got a good stretch early in the second half when Nelson and Jarin Stevenson operated as its forwards. Nelson worked in the post, while Stevenson was able to stretch the floor and hit a pair of 3s before the 17-minute mark. Stevenson finished with 12 points, five rebounds and a steal.

West Virginia transfer Mohamed Wague and freshman Mouhamed Dioubate both had some strong moments when they filled in at the forward spots, despite having struggled with injuries before the season.

Wague, who is coming off of a foot injury, showed off his 6-foot-11 frame and finished with four points, two rebounds and a block. Dioubate finished with five points and two boards.

"They were both coming off surgeries so they didn't have as much time to acclimate to our system, but those two guys are going to help us," Oats said.

Having a presence in the paint also helped the Crimson Tide earn trips to the free throw line. Alabama wasn’t wasteful with those trips and shot 31-for-38 from the charity strip as it cruised to an opening night win.

Alabama next faces Indiana State at 7 p.m. Friday at Coleman Coliseum.