Alabama Basketball: What to expect from Kira Lewis and Nate Oats in 2019-20?

Kira Lewis is the new face of Alabama basketball. With Nate Oats as the Tide’s new head coach, what should we expect in 2019?

The Avery Johnson era of Alabama basketball had its highs and lows for sure. One thing that you can’t take away from him, however, was his ability to recruit high-level point guards. It started when the Tide landed Collin Sexton, and he wasn’t done there. The next year, he managed to sign Kira Lewis, a 17 year-old in-state recruit. Lewis showed a lot of promise last season despite the downfalls of the team. Now that Nate Oats is in charge in Tuscaloosa, expect Lewis to thrive.

Lewis might still be one of the younger players in college basketball, but his talent is elite. Whether he is draining shots around the perimeter or pushing the ball up the floor in transition, he is likely to make a big play. With his freshman year behind him, he has the experience to add to his talent. With Nate Oats in the equation, Lewis should have a great season.

Coach Oats is mostly known for his innovative offense. It involves a lot of moving off the ball and spacing. One of Alabama’s faults last year was the lack of movement on offense. The team wasn’t good enough to win in isolation, but that’s what the offense ran late in games. With everyone else moving, Kira should have the ability to either make a move on the defender or find someone for an open shot. Either way, his options will lead to more success than last year. He also has the experience to help him make better decisions.

There are new options at guard from last year, but the duty of facilitating the offense will easily be on Kira’s shoulders. Even if Johnson was still the coach, one would expect Kira to be more prepared to be the focal point of the offense. However, his job will get easier under Nate Oats. If everything goes to play, expect him to have a stellar sophomore season.