This is an opinion column.
High roster turnover has become the norm in modern college basketball, and no team is a better example of that than the Alabama Crimson Tide.
After a season where it made history by advancing to the Final Four, Alabama has already seen five exits via the transfer portal since the end of the season, offset by three additions via the portal so far .
The list is far from complete, but it requires a status update. I’ll break the roster down into three positions (guards, wings, and bigs) and give you a breakdown of where each position group stands and what Alabama may need to do to secure its roster as the plays continue to fall. place.
Large
It was obvious since the end of the season that Alabama was going to look for a true rim protection center in the transfer portal, and it appears to have found its top target in Rutgers transfer Clifford Omoruyi. He was one of the best shot blockers in all of college basketball last season, and has the frame and build to slide perfectly into the Charles Bediako role that Alabama sorely lacked last season .
Grant Nelson still has a decision to make regarding the NBA Draft, but it appears that with the pursuit of Omoruyi, the goal is to move him back to the “4” spot next to a true center if he was coming back, even though he played small ball ‘5’ last season. During Nelson’s excellent NCAA tournament run, he primarily played the “4” next to Nick Pringle at center. If Nelson leaves for the draft, expect Jarin Stevenson to move into that starting role at the ‘4’ after having another summer to get bigger and stronger.
As for depth, Nick Pringle entered the transfer portal, leaving Mohamed Wague as the only true “5” returning, but it appears his role will be that of depth should foul trouble arise. Ahead of Wague, I expect 5-star freshman Aiden Sherrell to command some minutes at the “5.” Sherrell is extremely talented, especially on the offensive end, but relying on a freshman at center is never wise.
The smart plan would be to develop Sherrell behind a transfer center for a season, especially a defensively oriented center, giving the roster plenty of flexibility and not having to ask him to do too much as a freshman year.
Much of what Alabama wants to do with its bigs relies heavily on getting a true center out of the portal. Omoruyi is and should be the No. 1 option, and he is expected to head to Alabama after taking a visit to Georgetown last weekend. If things fall through with Omoruyi, there are other names that have entered the portal in recent days that I think Alabama should consider, like Ohio State’s Felix Okpara, Tennesee’s Jonas Aidoo or even Moussa Cisse from Ole Miss.
Guards
For the purposes of this breakdown, I will only consider players who can play the primary guard position as guards, even though there are other “guards” that I will classify as wing players.
First of all, Mark Sears has his own decision to make regarding the NBA draft. If he returned, he would be a preseason All-American and one of the best players in the sport. But whether Sears stays or leaves, Alabama needed to bring in another point guard to prevent him from having to play nearly 40 minutes per game again, compounded by the loss of Aaron Estrada who was no longer eligible.
That’s why Auburn transfer Aden Holloway is here. He’s a talented kid who never really put it all together at Auburn, struggling to consistently hit shots from the floor and very clearly losing a lot of confidence in the process. It wasn’t a successful first year by the standards of a former 5-star, but that’s why he sought a change of scenery.
I don’t believe Alabama brought in Holloway to be the starting point guard on this team. It appears he’s in Tuscaloosa to develop first and serve as a backup option until he establishes himself, which I think Alabama’s offensive system will help him greatly. If Sears is back, he’ll obviously be the starter, but even if he’s not, I expect Alabama to bring in an older transfer to fill the starting point guard position. One potential option is Sean Padulla from Virginia Tech, who is expected to visit us soon.
Then there’s Latrell Wrightsell, who has yet to officially announce that he will return to use his COVID year, but is expected to do so. He will be one of the veterans on next year’s team and will likely slide into a starting role at the 2-guard position, but he has the ability to play the lead guard role if Alabama were ever in trouble and really needed it.
The need here is simple: a starting point guard. Ideally it would be Sears, and I fully believe Alabama is willing to compensate him well if he doesn’t like his comments about the NBA, but if he chooses to go pro, there’s no reason to don’t believe in Oats’ ability to find a guard. to direct and facilitate his attack.
Wings
The winger position, or the players who mainly play the “2” or “3”, is the position that has seen the most turnover since the end of the season. Rylan Griffen entering the portal was a big loss, as he was poised to be a returning starter and make another jump in his junior year, while Sam Walters and Kris Parker also hit the portal, losing a little depth at this position.
But Oats did a great job replacing what was lost. Pepperdine transfer Houston Mallette and South Florida Chris Youngblood are two players who shot over 40 percent from three last season and are good scorers, immediately replacing the lost production of Griffen and Walters.
Both Mallette and Youngblood will be seniors, and either could be given a starting role. This also means either could serve as a shooter off the bench, providing more scoring depth options. Mallette has good length while Youngblood has a bulkier build, and both should at least be solid defenders.
The wild card for the wings is 5-star Derrion Reid. He is the highest-rated player in Alabama’s top-5 recruiting class and ranks among the top 15 players in the class overall. He’s not the typical 3-and-D wing that Oats typically employs, but he’s more of a slasher. He has a good 3-point shot, but his strength lies in his interior finishing and versatility.
Reid projects to be a freshman ready to play significant minutes from day one, and if that’s the case, that gives Alabama a ton of roster versatility. Reid could play the “3” if Alabama wants to go big, but he has the frame to play a small ball “4” if Alabama wants to put more guards and shooters on the court.
Depth at the wing position will come from Mo Dioubaté, a defensive stopper and powerful rebounder, and Naas Cunningham, an athletic shooter who is a talented but raw freshman.
There is still room for Alabama to bring in another wing if they choose to do so, but it is by no means the highest priority. There’s certainly an advantage to hiring someone who could contribute immediately, like 5-star recruit Liam McNeeley, who Alabama is linked to, but with the current roster, it’s not a necessity.
Preview
Oats and his staff have done a good job so far this offseason of filling needs and positioning themselves to fill even more. A center and point guard are a must, whether it’s Sears and Omoruyi or two different options. If it’s these two guys, Oats will have built one of the best teams in the country on paper, and expectations will skyrocket for good reason.
Check out BamaCentral’s 2024-25 Alabama basketball roster tracker for a complete roster position analysis.