Alabama Basketball Aims to Capitalize on JUCO Talent Again with Nick Pringle

Film study: Versatile forward was a top-five junior-college prospect in the Crimson Tide's recruiting Class of 2022.

This isn't the first time Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats has looked to the junior college ranks to find pieces for his team in Tuscaloosa.

James Rojas and Keon Ellis, both of whom were key pieces of Alabama's roster in their collegiate careers, were both highly-rated JUCO prospects in their respective classes. Oats is looking to continue the trend with Nick Pringle this season. 

The 6-foot-9 forward was a three-star recruit according to 247Sports, and ranked the No. 5 overall junior college prospect in the nation and No. 1 JUCO power forward. 

The Seabrook, S.C. product originally enrolled at Wofford as a freshman during the 2020-21 season, but saw extremely limited playing time and transferred to Dodge City Community College in Dodge City, Kan.

There he was a major piece of a team that went 30-5 in 2021-22, and his play earned him big looks on the recruiting trail. Last season, Pringle averaged 9.2 points per game to go along with an impressive 8.9 rebounds, good enough for the team lead. He also topped Dodge City in field goal percentage at 61.8 percent. 

Pringle posted 14 double-digit rebounding games across last season and recorded seven double-doubles as well.

If it wasn't obvious by his stats, Pringle is a big-bodied, strong forward who weighs 220 pounds. His size and strength are what defines his game, as his specialty is rebounding and providing a low-post presence both on the offensive and defensive ends of the floor.

Pringle loves to play above the rim, and has the athleticism and jumping ability to do so with relative ease. He also has a knack for catching and finishing lobs, as well as rising up after catching passes in the post to throw down thunderous dunks.

His best skill at Dodge City was rebounding, which is also the biggest value he can bring Alabama this season. In addition to his freak athleticism, Pringle knows how to position himself best on both ends and has a high-effort mentality shown best by his relentless crashing of the glass.

Pringle has long arms which serve him well as a defender and a rim protector. He has great footwork for his size which allows him to stay in front of the opposition, and his bounce and length are the exact tools needed for him to be an elite rim protector.

The transition from JUCO to the Division-I game will not be easy, but Oats believes Pringle has all of the tools to be a successful player for Alabama. 

“We think he gives us a different dimension in the frontcourt,” Oats said. “He may be the most versatile and athletic forward in all of junior college basketball [...] We are looking forward to adding an experienced frontcourt player to the roster."

Below are some plays that display how Pringle can contribute to the Crimson Tide.

These two plays show two primary ways that Pringle will be utilized in half-court sets at Alabama.

In the first clip, Pringle executed a standard pick-and-roll towards the basket that should be routine for him in Tuscaloosa. After he caught the pass from his teammate, he used one dribble to get himself closer to the basket and then showed off his athleticism by rising up to throw down the dunk.

In the second clip, the ball was on the right wing and Pringle settled near the left block in what is known as the 'dunker' spot. With the opposing defense running zone, Pringle's teammate drove and found him for an easy pass and finish when the defense collapsed on the ball handler. Against any team running a zone defense this will be an attacking position for Pringle.

The next two plays showcase Pringle's versatility and athleticism aside from just his jumping capabilities. 

The first shows Pringle out as a wing defender and he recognized his opposition losing control of the basketball. He reached out with his long arms to make the steal, and then, impressively for his size and position, dribbled the length of the floor and finished with a dunk.

In the second clip, Pringle grabbed a defensive rebound and threw a standard outlet pass to his guard. From there he ran toward the rim and cut hard once he reached the three-point line to receive the pass. 

Not every big man can rim run with ease, so that's a feather in Pringle's cap.

The biggest question marks with Pringle as a prospect are his lack of an outside game as well as the translation of his rim protection against bigger, more physical opponents in the SEC. 

On the positive side, though, his athleticism is undeniable and he has the drive and effort to earn himself a spot on the court even if he still needs to polish other aspects of his game. 

“I’m going to come away with a lot of helmets, I already know,” Pringle told BamaCentral in February, referring to the team’s Hard Hat Award.

With that mentality and the physical traits to go long with it, Pringle is bound to see meaningful playing time in Tuscaloosa whether that be this year or in the future, given he still has three years of eligibility remaining. 

We'll leave you with one final clip showing off Pringle's most eye-popping attribute, throwing down a backside lob with authority in the middle of a game:

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