No longer just a football school, Alabama’s basketball program has been in its best shape these last few seasons. Nate Oats has built something impressive in Tuscaloosa, taking the Crimson Tide to their first Final Four before following that up with last year’s run to the Elite Eight. His recent teams have played elite offensive basketball and been a national contender in a strong SEC.
Some different faces will be leading the charge, as both Grant Nelson and Mark Sears have ended their collegiate careers. Those two former transfers were immensely productive during those two postseason runs, with Sears especially standing out on both fronts. Fortunately, Alabama is far from starting over, as freshman Labaron Philon and sophomore Aden Holloway both return in this backcourt. Latrell Wrightsell also returns from injury for one more collegiate campaign.
Alabama’s returning talent is impressive but Oats and company also landed a pretty nice haul from the transfer portal without losing too much of their own roster. Former Miami guard Jalil Bethea was a Top 10 prospect last season and after things didn’t work out with the Hurricanes will be looking to be a major factor. The frontcourt has plenty of new faces, notably adding Keitenn Bristow, a former Tarleton State forward, and Taylor Bol Bowen, who showed his promise as a shot blocker at Florida State.
Fresh off an impressive junior year, 7-footer Noah Williamson joins the Crimson Tide as the final piece of this transfer class. The native Latvian spent three years with Bucknell, first as a bench piece and project before developing into one of the best mid-major centers in the nation. Williamson put up 17.6 points and 7.6 rebounds per game and was named Patriot League Player of the Year while also nabbing a spot on the league’s All-Defense team.
What makes this addition special is that Williamson is cut from the same cloth as Sears, Nelson, and a few other notable Crimson Tide of recent years. Sears and Nelson emerged as mid-major stars at Ohio and North Dakota State respectively before making the transition and Alabama sure hopes they have another star in the making. Williamson has impressive size and length and has a very impressive game that includes a 3-point shot and shot blocking ability.
There isn’t the expectation for Williamson to slide in and specifically produce at a certain level, but both he and Bol Bowen really solidify a frontcourt that went through major changes in the offseason. Between the returning faces, these transfers, and a few freshman we didn’t touch on, Oats has another potential national contender on his hands. A lot will depend on Alabama’s consistency near the basket and they’ll need a strong senior year from this 7-footer.