TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama’s men’s basketball team has held four of its 10 NCAA-allotted preseason practices prior to its three-game foreign tour in Canada early next month.

And already, the Crimson Tide players have bonded together, both on and off the practice court. So much so that third-year coach Avery Johnson has noticed something different.

“I think the chemistry’s been great because I see our guys doing a lot more, at this stage, off the court,” Johnson said after Monday’s practice. “They tend to go out to dinners more and movies or whatever they like to do, and they spend more time together than any of the other two teams that I’ve had, at this stage. So, I think that chemistry has carried over to the floor.”

Monday gave people outside the men’s basketball program their first glimpse at the newcomers in an Alabama uniform. The Crimson Tide signed the nation’s No. 7-ranked recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite, and the five freshmen -- as well as the now-eligible Daniel Giddens -- made their media debuts.

Along with Collin Sexton, John Petty, Alex Reese, Herb Jones and Galin Smith, Alabama welcomed back four starters and seven letterwinners from last season’s team. The Tide returned 74 percent of its total scoring output, 58 percent of its rebounding and 77 percent of its assist totals from a year ago.

But with several new faces on the practice court and it only being the fourth day of preseason drills, it felt normal to the veteran players that have been in the program for some time.

Alabama senior forward Riley Norris

“It feels like we’ve been playing together for a while,” junior big man Donta Hall said. “Even though we’ve just been here about two and a half months, it we feels like we’re an experienced team, up and down the court. … It feels like family. All of us are brothers. We watch out for one another, just keeping each other in check.”

The Tide’s leading scorer from a season ago, Braxton Key, echoed his teammate’s comments, expounding on the time the players have spent together away from Coleman Coliseum.

“It’s great. It feels like we do everything together this year,” Key said. “Guys are in here three hours before practice, playing 2K -- I’m the best one the team, don’t listen to anybody. … We just all get along a whole lot better than last year, in my opinion.”

Monday’s practice did seem a bit different.

Sexton and Petty were a cohesive duo during two-on-one drills. Jones and several other flexed their versatility by knocking down threes and slamming home dunks. The viewing portion of the practice session oozed with the athleticism that was advertised.

“We’re a long ways from where we have been in the past, and I didn’t know if we would be,” senior forward Riley Norris said. “With five freshmen, I mean, that chemistry can be really bad, but I think they came in and they understand and they’re buying into Coach Johnson’s process, and I think we’ve done good, so far.”

There are still plenty of practices between now and Nov. 10’s regular-season opener, but the Alabama players, both young and old, are already a step ahead of Johnson’s past teams.

And that’s a step in the right direction in achieving success in the Crimson Tide’s trip to Canada, as well as the highly-anticipated season many Alabama fans have waited to see.

“Those guys that have been here for two years, one of the things that’s happened is they’ve never been to the tournament,” Johnson said, “and they know that they can play together, our incoming freshmen are going to be good and if we can just blend it all together and come together as a team and have great chemistry, then maybe the end of our season is going to be a lot happier than the last two.”

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