No. 2 Alabama Men's Basketball 2024-25 Season Preview

Breaking down what Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats claims is the "best roster we've had" since arriving in Tuscaloosa in 2019.

Mar 24, 2024; Spokane, WA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats reacts in the first half against the Grand Canyon Antelopes at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— "Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

Quoting protagonist Andy Dufresne's famous line in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption to preview the Alabama men's basketball season probably wasn't on your 2024 bingo card, but it's actually quite appropriate.

Since 2009, the coveted Alabama football program has been ranked inside of the top-5 of every single Preseason AP Poll. Up until this year and in that same time frame, the Crimson Tide men's basketball team has been ranked four times with No. 14 being its highest placement.

That being said, the Tide has been included in each of the last three Preseason AP Polls. This is heavily due to the efforts of head coach Nate Oats, who was hired in 2019 and has quickly built a basketball empire in the mecca of college football.

Prior to this past season, Alabama had made each of the last three NCAA Tournaments, but despite even being the No. 1 overall seed in the 2022-23 bracket, the Tide still couldn't advance past the Sweet 16 and the same restrictions applied for the other two appearances.

Alabama struggled towards the end of last regular season and was bounced out of the SEC Tournament in the first round. Momentum is a powerful asset when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, but the Tide had no such thing entering the Round of 64 as a 4-seed. However, a switch flipped in Oats' team as the Tide took down 13-seed Charleston, then 12-seed Grand Canyon, then pulled off a massive upset over west region top-seed North Carolina to enter an unfamiliar territory known as the Elite Eight.

A win in this round against 6-seed Clemson would propel the Crimson Tide to its first-ever Final Four. Hope was on the Crimson Tide's side in the second half, as Alabama took down Clemson in comeback fashion to create a new standard in Blue Collar Hoops. The Tide's journey ended in the National Semifinal against tournament top-seed UConn, who went on to win the National Championship, but cutting the nets down a few nights before was the biggest accomplishment the program had ever performed.

Nevertheless, following a ring and banner unveiling ceremony in Coleman Coliseum on Oct. 11, Oats and his team have made it clear that they are turning the page and solely focusing on this season. A strong argument can be made that this is the most anticipated season in the history of Tide Hoops. Oats and his staff, which is led by assistant coach and recruiting mastermind Preston Murphy, several returning players, multiple experienced transfers and highly touted incoming freshmen all give Alabama realistic expectations to get two more wins than last season's NCAA Tournament to claim the school's first-ever National Title.

The anticipation and expectations to cut the nets down not once but twice this season have also been approved by the AP and Coaches Polls, as Alabama was placed at No. 2 in each of them, the highest preseason ranking this program has ever seen. In fact, this number beat out the Tide football team as they filled the No. 5 spot in each of their respective preseason polls. That's right, Alabama basketball was ranked higher than Alabama football, which hasn't happened since 2006—the year before legendary former Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, who retired on Jan. 10, 2024, was hired.

That said, getting those two extra wins in the NCAA Tournament won't be super easy as Alabama must face a gauntlet of a regular season schedule that will all but certainly alter the Tide's hopes and momentum. Preseason No. 4 Houston, No. 10 North Carolina, No. 11 Auburn, No. 12 Tennessee, No. 13 Purdue, No. 14 Creighton, No. 15 Texas A&M, No. 16 Arkansas, No. 19 Texas, No. 21 Florida, No. 23 Kentucky, No. 24 Illinois, and No. 25 Ole Miss are all on this loaded slate.

While this will be extremely difficult to overcome, towards the end of the offseason, Oats said that this is the "best roster we've had since we've been here."

"When you talk 1-through-13, it's the deepest one we've had," Oats said. "We've got experience, youth, athleticism, depth at every position. We're a little banged up right now, but even with some guys out, we've got so much depth, we're still pretty good. When we come together, we've got a lot of pieces."

Of the 13 scholarship players, a jaw-dropping eight of them are either incoming transfers or freshmen, while five former players returned to achieve two more wins. Here's a quick breakdown of every player, and accompanied by each of them is a quote from either Oats or point guard Mark Sears during a recent press conference or SEC Media Day:

Backcourt

Mark Sears

The University of Alabama unveiled the first banner honoring the school’s first Final Four appearance Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Coleman Coliseum. Alabama guard Mark Sears (1) wins the three point shooting contest. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 6-foot-1 graduate point guard was named an AP All-America Second Team member and All-SEC First Team member last season after averaging 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists last season. He became the first Division I player in 31 seasons to record 795 points (Alabama record), 150 rebounds, 145 assists, and 95 three-pointers in a single season.

Sears has been showered with preseason recognition and honors as he was predicted by both the media and coaches to win the conference's Player of the Year award and also land a spot on the All-SEC First Team. Sears also received the most votes to land a spot on the Preseason AP All-American Team and is on the Bob Cousy Award (nation's top point guard) watch list as well.

Oats' Thoughts: "Sears' defense significantly improved this year. In practice, in those exhibition games, when he stood up against [Wake Forest guard Cameron] Hildreth, a tough physical driver, he stripped him and the ball went the other way. Against Memphis, I think he did a better job of guarding the ball than anybody on the team. He knows that's what he's got to do to get to the next level—he got that feedback when he went to all these NBA teams [during last season's draft process]—and he's doing a really good job of improving on it."

Labaron Philon

Alabama guard Labaron Philon (0) celebrates against Memphis at Von Braun Center in Huntsville, AL on Monday, Oct 28, 2024. / Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

The 6-foot-4 freshman guard has had quite the past year, starting with the former 4-star recruit from Mobile committing to Auburn on Feb. 3, 2023, but decommit from the Tigers two months later. Philon visited Kansas and Alabama in Sept. 2023 but chose the Jayhawks shortly after. However, a few months later, despite signing his national letter of intent, Philon decommitted from Kansas, took an official visit to Tuscaloosa and then committed to the Tide on April 28.

Since his arrival, Philon has received nonstop rave reviews not only about his ability as a scorer and playmaker but as a defender as well. Philon tallied a combined 30 points and 12 assists in the exhibition victories over Wake Forest and Memphis. He has the potential to be an absolute game-changer for the Crimson Tide due to his all-around abilities.

Oats' Thoughts: "Labaron's done an unbelievable job. He looked really good against Memphis and Wake Forest. Labaron Philon is one of the better two-way guards in all of college basketball. Upperclassmen or freshman, he's been really good on both sides of the ball...His defensive instincts and his toughness have been way better than I thought it was going to be and we all know he can score. He went to high school here up until his senior year and was one of the best scorers in the country. I've been most surprised by his competitive fire, his defensive instincts and his toughness."

Latrell Wrightsell Jr.

Apr 6, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (12) reacts after a play against the Connecticut Huskies during the first half in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-3 graduate guard averaged 8.9 points and 1.1 steals last season for the Crimson Tide in roughly 23.6 minutes per game. He was on and off as Alabama's sixth-man alongside outgoing South Carolina transfer forward Nick Pringle, as the two of them altered as starters. Wrightsell also suffered multiple head injuries in 2023-24, leading him to miss six games, including an early exit in Alabama's Round of 32 game of the NCAA Tournament.

Wrightsell sat out of the Memphis and Wake Forest scrimmages due to a lower-leg injury, but practiced throughout the week and will come off of the bench tonight with a minutes restriction. His abilities as a sharpshooter will be vital to Alabama's success this season as he led the Tide in three-point percentage (44.7 percent) while also converting an efficient 44.6 percent from the field.

Sears' Thoughts: "A knockdown shooter. His playmaking is very good and his defense is off the charts. He's constantly growing in areas of his game and he's been evolving over the summer...He's probably not gonna miss too many open threes and that's great to have. He was like 60 percent on catch-and-shoot threes this past year, and that's another knockdown shooter we'll have. He's very good for us."

Aden Holloway

Alabama guard Aden Holloway (2) motions to pass the ball against Wake Forest at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, AL on Friday, Oct 18, 2024 / Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

The 6-foot-1 sophomore guard was a McDonald's All-American and 5-star recruit out of high school prior to his commitment to Auburn. Holloway was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team in his first year with the Tigers, but his 20 minutes per game and usage on the floor (7.3 points, 1.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game) may have been a reason for his departure from Auburn and his transfer to Alabama.

Despite the lack of minutes, Holloway made the most of his time on the floor by leading Auburn in three-pointers attempted per game. He should have an increased role at Alabama this season—a program that led the country in scoring last season due to a heavy amount of shots from behind the arc.

Oats' Thoughts: "Holloway is a little more accustomed to playing our style—Auburn took a lot of threes, he's a shooter, he's a guard. I think he's figured it out very well, look at the way he played against Wake Forest, I think he's very comfortable in our system...Holloway is a much better defender than he was last year, I think that's part of the reason he didn't play as much as maybe he would've liked or hoped. But he's been a lot better defensively here."

Houston Mallette

Alabama guard Houston Mallette (95) shoots a three against Memphis at Von Braun Center in Huntsville, AL on Monday, Oct 28, 2024. / Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

The 6-foot-5 senior guard transferred to Alabama this offseason after three years of consistency across all stat categories at Pepperdine. Mallette's best numbers came in the scoring fields as last season he averaged 14.7 points per game on 43.1 percent from the field, including a stellar 41.5 percent from downtown.

Mallette had a really nice outing in the exhibition against Memphis as shot all five of his attempts from three-point range and made three of them in just a little over 14 minutes of action. However, that amount of time on the floor might not increase much throughout the regular season due to the loaded guard rotation. Plus Mallette hasn't adapted as quickly to Alabama's fast-paced play style as some other newcomers.

Oats' Thoughts: "Houston Mallette is playing a much different style than what they did at Pepperdine, but he's got a lot of questions he's figuring out."

Chris Youngblood

Chris Youngblood (in white quarter-zip) and the Alabama Basketball Team celebrate against Wake Forest at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, AL on Friday, Oct 18, 2024. / Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

The 6-foot-4 graduate guard transferred from South Florida to Alabama this offseason, as he led the Bulls in scoring with 15.3 points per game on 45.8 percent from the field and 41.6 from deep. These numbers not only landed him a spot on the All-AAC First Team but he was also named the conference's Player of the Year.

There isn't much to be said about the Tuscaloosa native's role in the Crimson rotation just yet as he's been out for several weeks due to an ankle injury he suffered during practice. The guard depth will obviously restrict his minutes, but he's seemed to make a big impression on Oats both on (when healthy) and off the court.

Oats' Thoughts: "Chris Youngblood has an ankle injury that Dr. Waldrop, who's arguably the best foot and ankle specialist in the country, operated on. We're expecting them to be 100 percent by conference play, and we'll see how the recovery goes. But he's one of the hardest working kids I've ever known, and he's in the middle of every drill and assistant coach, so mentally he's gonna be there. He's gonna know what we're doing."

Frontcourt

Grant Nelson

Mar 28, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Grant Nelson (2) blocks North Carolina Tar Heels guard RJ Davis (4) in the second half in the semifinals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-11 graduate forward averaged 11.9 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.6 blocks last season, leading the Crimson Tide in the latter two stat categories. Perhaps his breakout game occurred in the Sweet 16 against one-seeded North Carolina, when he dropped 24 points, 12 rebounds and monstrous five blocks.

Nelson's effectiveness on both sides of the ball in 2023-24 has persuaded the media and the conference's coaches to place him on the Preseason All-SEC Second Team. Additionally, Nelson, who finished with the fourth-most blocks in the SEC and was tied with former Alabama guard Aaron Estrada as the team's most Hard Hat Award wins, was named to the Karl Malone (nation's top power forward) watch list. He didn't play in the scrimmages due to an injury and will come off of the bench tonight with a minutes restriction.

Sears' Thoughts: "Grant's been able to play his natural position for us. We're also gonna use him at the five (center) to bring the 'five men out' to space the floor more. Grant's been really good. His jump shot has gotten a lot better and we've seen that so far in practices and scrimmages [during practice]...He's been in the gym, he's been working every single day on his weaknesses and I feel like we're gonna see them pay off this year."

Clifford Omoruyi

Alabama center Clifford Omoruyi (11) dunks the ball against Wake Forest at Boutwell Auditorium in Birmingham, AL on Friday, Oct 18, 2024. / Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

The 6-foot-11 graduate center's transfer was imperative for Alabama as the Tide lost multiple forwards and bigs to the portal, but also the interior defense was one of its main weaknesses last season. The former Rutgers big man's 2.9 blocks per game in 2023-24 led the Big Ten and his rim-protecting efforts the year before helped him earn a spot on the conference's All-Defensive Team in each of the last two seasons.

Numerous players have been asked throughout the offseason which member of the Crimson Tide is the toughest to score on and it's certainly unanimous that the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award (nation's top center) watch list candidate is the ultimate disruptor. Alabama's 81.2 points allowed per contest last season were bottom-10 in the country, but the addition of Omoruyi, plus longtime NBA defensive assistant Brian Adams, should seriously lower that number.

Oats' Thoughts: "Cliff is figuring it out. We're not playing through the post as much with him like he did at Rutgers. He's having to be a ball-screener or roller, playing in the pocket more. He's getting better and I think he's quickly figuring out how to play with our guys...Cliff's maybe the best rim protector in the country, we knew that, and we wanted to target him in our spring recruiting because we needed to make a big change in that regard. He's got a 7-foot-6 wingspan and he's got great instincts. I thought he was one of the best defensive bigs in the country over the last few years in college basketball."

Derrion Reid

Alabama forward Derrion Reid (35) dunks with Big Al's Help during Alabama Men's Basketball Final Four Celebration and Scrimmage at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, AL on Friday, Oct 11, 2024. / Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

The 6-foot-8 freshman is one of Alabama's highest-rated commits ever as the five-star was ranked the No. 17 player in the class of 2024 per 247 Sports. This is due to a variety of assets he has on both sides of the floor.

Of all the attributes, the McDonald's All-American's length and athleticism might be the most notable. His leaping and dunking ability is arguably the most potent on the team. Despite the loaded roster that's filled with experience, Reid should still get a decent chunk of minutes even though he's a freshman.

Oats' Thoughts: "Derrion plays so hard and everybody wants him to do so well...Having the perimeter size is big [for rim protection]. He had two blocks [against Wake Forest]. Some of the wings and guards try to drive on him, but he plays so hard. He's long, he's athletic, he's going to help a lot. He could play the two (shooting guard), three (small forward), even some one (point guard) maybe."

Jarin Stevenson

Mar 30, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Jarin Stevenson (15) reacts after shooting against Clemson Tigers forward Ian Schieffelin (4) in the second half in the finals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-11 sophomore forward is technically a freshman, as he was pulled up from high school at 17-years-old last season—a very similar scenario to Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams. His stats were on the lower end in each category, but he also only played a little over 16 minutes a game. However, he shined when it mattered most as his 19 points on 7-of-11 from the field, including five makes from downtown against Clemson in the Elite Eight helped lead the Tide to the Final Four.

Oats and multiple players have been asked which member of the Crimson Tide improved the most over the offseason/isn't being talked about enough, and Stevenson is pretty much the unanimous pick. This is mainly due to his up-and-coming aggressiveness with or without possession of the basketball.

Oats' Thoughts: "He's definitely playing more physical. If you watch him drive the basketball, and I was talking with a couple of our guards after practice last week and they’re like, ‘Man, Jarin’s got those NBA drives.' Put your shoulder down, he’s 6-foot-10 and he gets low when he’s driving. He drives and you’re not knocking him off the drive. He’s finishing like a man at the rim. He's also rebounding the ball on the offensive end with more physicality, getting in there and not getting bumped off. A guy tries to box him out, he's still coming because he's a lot stronger now. I think you'll see him be a lot more physical."

Mouhamed Dioubate

Mar 22, 2024; Spokane, WA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Mouhamed Dioubate (10) reacts after a dunk during the first half in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament against the Charleston Cougars at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-7 sophomore forward played for less than eight minutes per game last season, but made his presence known on both ends of the floor. This was most apparent in the Tide's Round of 32 matchup against Grand Canyon when Dioubate scored nine of Alabama's last 15 points, while also recording a team-high five offensive rebounds and two blocks in a 72-61 escape.

Dioubate's role and minutes should increase a bit from last year's freshman campaign, but obviously Alabama's stunning amount of depth in both the backcourt and frontcourt can alter that notion. That said, Multiple players have said during the preseason scrimmages that Dioubate's energy is among the top of the team.

Oats' Thoughts: "If we didn't have him [during last season's NCAA Tournament], we don't win the Grand Canyon game, we don't make the Final Four, we don't even make the second week of the tournament...Really good high school player who took a little bit longer to figure out our system as he didn't do a good job of shooting the three last year but he still did a lot of things really well, including making tough plays, that's his strength. He comes into that Grand Canyon game and immediately flips the momentum, gets some [offensive] boards, makes some tough plays, he's going make some tough plays. He's all over the glass, he's getting a lot better at being a connector on offense, getting some of our great shooters open and he's been working on his shot."

Aiden Sherrell

Alabama Crimson Tide forward Aiden Sherrell / Obtained from Aiden Sherrell's Instagram

The 6-foot-10 freshman forward is another highly touted commit on the all-time Alabama scale as the former four-star recruit was ranked as the No. 20 prospect in the country, per On3. He and the aforementioned Derrion Reid have some chemistry already as the two of them played with each other at Prolific Prep and were McDonald's All-Americans.

Sherrell's size will be a big plus for the Tide as he'll get to share minutes and the floor with Omoruyi and Nelson. What makes him different from Omoruyi—as Sherrell fits more towards the center position rather than forward—is his ability as a shooter, which will allow Alabama to really space things out on countless possessions, providing problems for opposing defenses. Sherrell has been out for a little bit due to a leg injury and didn't play in the scrimmages, but he'll come off of the bench tonight and be on a minutes restriction

Oats' Thoughts: "Great size, super coachable, wants to be great...Before Aiden got hurt, he's been out for like a month, I thought he was really starting to come around. He was shooting the ball really well and kind of gives us two different looks at the five (center). Cliff gets to the rim, rolls, puts a bunch of pressure on the rim and Aiden can really shoot it well, stretch it and can also put pressure on the rim—probably not quite at the level Cliff does, but Cliff can't shoot like Aiden."

Naasir Cunningham

The University of Alabama unveiled the first banner honoring the school’s first Final Four appearance Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Coleman Coliseum. Alabama forward Naasir Cunningham (24) participates in the dunk contest. / Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 6-foot-7 freshman is listed as a forward but Oats often considers him as a guard. In 2022, Cunningham was rated the No. 1 overall recruit in ESPN's class of 2024, but he couldn't obtain that status by the time he committed. Nonetheless, he still finished at a respectable No. 62 ranking when he committed to Alabama.

Cunningham's height helps him shoot over defenders, but weight has been a question mark as Oats believes there's a lack of aggressiveness. Due to this, he could be the prime candidate to redshirt this season, but that is uncertain at this time.

Oats' Thoughts: "He's got to get stronger, he came in skinny. He's got super high upside, but he's got to get stronger so he can play a more physical style for us...[Due to the large amount of depth] it would make sense for a guy like that [to redshirt] just because he's gonna have to get a lot stronger and tougher. If he can get tougher physically and put on 15 pounds, 6-foot-8 guards that shoot at the level he shoots at tend to be pros. But he's got to get his intensity level on a consistent basis throughout practice. There's days that he looks like he should be in the NBA but he just has to be a little more consistent."

Conclusion

The Alabama men's basketball team is facing expectations its never seen before. To say this season is championship or bust would be unfair to the program in general, but the Crimson Tide is embracing the narrative surrounding them.

Sears tested the NBA draft waters this offseason but decided to come back for at least one more year with the Crimson Tide.

"When I was in the draft process, I was keeping up and seeing the roster the coaching staff was putting together," Sears said. "And I was like, man this roster could contend for a National Championship. And I wanted to be a part of it.”

Wrightsell took it a step further at SEC Media Day.

“Our expectation is we’re trying to win four championships: the Players Era Festival, the SEC regular season, the SEC Tournament and the National Championship,” Wrightsell said. “Those are the expectations. We don’t really look into the numbers, mainly just winning each game every day. Win the day. We’re not really worried about next week, tomorrow and the day after that."

Alabama's men's basketball program has been around since 1912. After over 100 years of attempts to reach the Final Four, the Crimson Tide finally did so last season. Now, the deepest roster in the Oats era must build on it with hope and blue-collar effort to get those two extra wins and bring the University of Alabama its first basketball National Championship title.

"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies."

The journey to the National Championship begins tonight in Coleman Coliseum against UNC Asheville at 8 p.m. CT on ESPNU.