Nate Oats Sparking an NBA Draft Renaissance for Alabama Basketball

Crimson Tide coach has had at least one player drafted to the NBA every year since he's been in Tuscaloosa.

Ten years. 

That was the gap between the drafting of Richard Hendrix in 2008 and Collin Sexton in 2018, two players from two completely separate eras of Alabama basketball, and the longest gap between drafted players in the program's history. 

Putting players in the NBA used to be quite common for Alabama, with names like Robert Horry, Latrell Sprewell and Gerald Wallace playing in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and even further back with players like Reggie King and Leon Douglas in the 1980s. 

But until Sexton was drafted, the words "Alabama" and "NBA" were rarely used in the same sentence, save for an undrafted free agent deal from JaMychal Green. 

Though head coach Avery Johnson was fired from the Crimson Tide after a few underwhelming years, including the one led by Sexton, he laid a strong recruiting foundation for whoever was to come after him. 

The man that followed him? He's taken that foundation and is building a mansion. 

Since Nate Oats arrived at Alabama before the 2019-20 season, the Crimson Tide has had a player selected in all four NBA Drafts that have occurred.

In 2020, Kira Lewis Jr. was taken by the Pelicans wit the 13th pick. 

In 2021, the Spurs took Josh Primo at 12 and the Pelicans took Herb Jones at 35.

In 2022, the Celtics took JD Davison with the 53rd pick. 

Then Thursday night, Alabama made a statement with two players selected in the first round, something the program hasn't done since 1995. 

Brandon Miller was taken by the Charlotte Hornets with the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, tying the highest an Alabama player has ever been selected (Antonio McDyess in 1995). Then 19 picks later, the Brooklyn Nets drafted Noah Clowney with the 21st pick, marking the fourth first-round pick coached by Oats in his time at Alabama. 

Those four first round picks since 2020 rank third among all programs in college basketball, only trailing two blue bloods in Kentucky and Duke. 

That's more first round picks than Kansas, more than North Carolina, more than UCLA. More than the new bloods of Baylor and Arkansas. More than the traditional powers of Arizona and Michigan. 

What Oats is doing with a school that was previously stuck middling in college basketball purgatory is nothing short of astounding. 

The types of players he's putting in the league are varying, too. 

For example, 6-foot-8-plus wings who have high versatility and can initiate offenses? Miller and Jones. Dynamic guards on the short side who are fast and explosive getting to the rim? Lewis and Davison. 

Not every player Oats has put in the league has been a blue-chip prospect, either. Miller and Davison were the only 5-stars. Lewis played two years after reclassifying, and Primo and Clowney were both outside the top-50 in their respective recruiting classes. Jones played all four years of college and entered the draft as a senior. 

Oats is finding ways to put players of all different types, sizes and skillsets in the league, and not only is it leaving an impact in draft circles, but it directly impacts the recruiting trail.

The first thing recruits mention when asked about Oats is the "NBA style" system he runs at Alabama, referring to the up-tempo nature of the Crimson Tide's pace of play and how that operates similarly to the majority of teams in the NBA. 

And now with a plethora of archetypes having been drafted, Oats' recruiting pitches will typically have reasonable player and role comparisons to give to potential prospects. 

The biggest question going forward is if Oats can keep this up, and with the way he's constructing his rosters there's no reason to think he can't.

Alabama just landed the commitment of Jarin Stevenson, who was a 5-star in 2024 but reclassified to 2023 to play this season. If he flashes potential throughout the season, he could make his way onto draft boards. Grant Nelson, who is expected to commit in the near future, recently withdrew from this year's draft after going through the pre-draft process. 

And who knows what kind of steps Rylan Griffen could take or if Mark Sears could play himself onto the second round radar. 

Not to mention the way the Crimson Tide has been recruiting, it wouldn't be surprising to see a blue-chip 2024 prospect or two land in Tuscaloosa. 

With the way Oats has things going, it might be time to get used to Adam Silver saying, "from the University of Alabama."

See also:

Alabama Forward Brandon Miller Drafted No. 2 Overall By Hornets

Nets Select Alabama Forward Noah Clowney With 21st Pick in NBA Draft

Alabama Basketball Roster Tracker: 2023 Offseason