SEC Basketball: Way-too-early power rankings for 2022-23 season
By Joey Loose
5. Alabama
Even though last season didn’t end the way they wanted, Alabama has been in fantastic shape since hiring Nate Oats three seasons ago. His second year ended with an SEC title and a Sweet Sixteen and the future continues to look bright, especially with Oats busily building this team both on the recruiting trail and with the transfer portal.
Jaden Shackelford is gone, but Jahvon Quinerly should be back when he recovers from his injury, hoping to build on last year’s 13.8 points per game. The Crimson Tide add a slew of exciting transfers, highlighted by former St. Bonaventure guard Dominick Welch and former Ohio guard Mark Sears. Two 5-star prospects join the program, with forward Brandon Miller and point guard Jaden Bradley likely to make a certain impact this season.
There’s a lot of talent gone from last year’s squad, but Oats has absolutely restacked the deck for next season. If everything works out with Quinerly and these young players can adjust to the college game, then Alabama will be a contender for the SEC title yet again. In all, these Alabama teams have been potent offensive units, it’s all going to come down to how these new faces perform on the defensive end, something that let them down at times last year.