Alabama Basketball: Nate Oats hints at potential Herb Jones return for 2020-21

Alabama Basketball has three players who currently have their names in the NBA Draft, one of which is forward Herb Jones. On Saturday, Nate Oats hinted that he could be returning to Tuscaloosa.

Alabama basketball has had several fantastic weeks as of late adding top recruits and transfers, but one of the players they might be bringing back could be more important than anyone.

On Saturday morning, head coach Nate Oats put out the following tweet:

This should all but confirm that Herb Jones will be back in Tuscaloosa for his senior season. As one of the top defensive players in the nation, Jones has been a huge piece for Alabama on both ends of the floor.

In 2019-20, Jones was named to the SEC All-Defense team after playing several games with only one hand after suffering a wrist injury against LSU in January. Although he was playing with only one hand, Jones managed to grab 17 rebounds against LSU in his second game back, while also making two one-handed free throws.

For someone who is known to be a poor free-throw shooter on most nights, seeing him make both of his attempted free throws was absolutely unreal and Coleman Coliseum erupted upon seeing it.

If Jones does, in fact, return to Alabama for his senior season, the Crimson Tide will be getting a huge piece back.

This is what the roster would likely look like with the addition of Herb Jones:

• Josh Primo 
• Keon Ambrose
• Darius Miles
• Jaden Shackelford
• Juwan Gary
• Adam Cottrell
• Javian Davis
• Jahvon Quinerly
• Britton Johnson
• James Rojas
• Herb Jones
• Galin Smith
• Alex Reese
• Keon Ellis
• Tyler Barnes
• Jordan Bruner

Herb Jones coming back would make the biggest difference on the defensive side of the ball, but his leadership will also help the Tide. Jones would be one of four players (five if John Petty returns as well) who have played with Alabama in the NCAA Tournament.

The Crimson Tide failed to make the tournament in 2018-19 and in 2019-20 the tournament was obviously canceled. However, in addition to those four players in Herb Jones, Galin Smith, Tyler Barnes and Alex Reese who have been to the tournament with Alabama, Jahvon Quinerly and Jordan Bruner have also been to the NCAA Tournament with Villanova and Yale respectively.

That being said, the Crimson Tide have their fair share of players who have played in the NCAA Tournament and could provide that leadership for the 2020-21 squad.

Back to Jones, if this does mean he will be back it is likely for one main reason; to work on his offensive game. Jones is an elite defender, but his offense has struggled in a big way.

In his career at Alabama Jones has averaged 22.7 minutes per game while only putting up six points per game. It’s not that he’s missing all of the shots he takes, he simply seems afraid to take shots as he has averaged only five field-goal attempts per game in three seasons.

If Jones could manage to get his offensive game to be half as good as his defensive game, he would be a surefire lottery pick. Jones’ return to Alabama would likely be to work on his offensive game with Nate Oats who in his first season, had Alabama attempting and making the most threes out of any team in the SEC.

In his first season with Oats, Jones was attempting slightly more shots per game and because of It he was putting up more points per game as well. That being said, another year at Alabama with Oats would likely help Jones even more.