NCAA Basketball: Class of 2022’s No. 2 recruit Jalen Duren release top 11 list
By Ian Mumm
Alabama Crimson Tide
Nate Oats had quite the season with the Crimson Tide and continues to show he is on a steep upward trajectory in Tuscaloosa. Alabama secured the SEC conference title and made a strong run in the NCAA Tournament before running into Cinderella UCLA. Oats relied on a much deeper backcourt group this season on their way to the program’s best finish in over 15 years.
A large part of the team’s success has been through Oats’s concentration on cranking the screws defensively. Despite not featuring a prominent shot blocker or paint protector, the Tide fly around the court and make life stressful for opponents. Alabama was nearly a top-20 defensive team nationally and improved in nearly every statistical category this season. Oats continues to recruit strong talent to the program and maintaining the consistent play should be fairly straightforward.
Oats will want to secure a talent of Duren’s caliber nonetheless. He has shown to have a good rapport with recruits of all positions and even was able to land 5-star Canadian center Charles Bediako this offseason. The issue may be finding minutes for all of the talent, however.
Bediako already joins a group of Alex Tchikou, James Rojas, and the possible return of seniors Alex Reese and Jordan Bruner. The Tide have utilized a 3-big rotation since Oats took over and Duren’s addition could create more of a reduction of his potential minutes than desired.