Recruiting Rundown: How Much Would an NCAA Title Impact Alabama's Recruiting?

A championship isn't the only factor to a recruit, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

© Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

It is hard to imagine a time when Alabama basketball is held in higher regard than right now.

The Crimson Tide just demolished Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the Round of 64 contest and Brandon Miller didn't even score. Nate Oats' squad is predicted by many to win the national championship, and that is in large part because of the talented freshmen class.

Oats and his staff have turned around the perception of Alabama basketball from a national perspective, starting from the early days of Juwan Gary and transfer Jahvon Quinerly; the 2020 class that included Josh Primo and Keon Ellis; the 2021 class when the high school recruits (JD Davison and Charles Bediako) might've been outmatched by the transfers (Noah Gurley and Nimari Burnett); and it all led to the 2022 class that included Miller, Jaden Bradley, Rylan Griffen and Noah Clowney as prep recruits, and Nick Pringle, Dom Welch and Mark Sears.

Alabama has become a place where upper-level recruits want to play, and with a deep NCAA Tournament run, or even a run that ends in a title, it could boost the reputation even further. Who wouldn't want to play for a championship program?

Of course, that is only half the battle in basketball recruiting. More than any other sport, basketball thrives on the idea of "winners breed winners." That's why programs like Syracuse and Texas, which haven't won a title in a long time, continue to get blue-chip prospects because those programs have an NBA track record.

Winning is a part of it, but for a player whose goal is to go pro, why not go to a school that has a history of players doing so? Alabama has recently become a consistent producer of NBA talent, but it has a ways to go to match the likes of Kentucky, Duke and North Carolina. 

That said, a championship wouldn't hurt.

Tide-bits

• The verdict is still out on Trentyn Flowers, who will announce his commitment later this afternoon. 

• Tony Mitchell's arrest is a major issue for Alabama football, but only time will tell how everything will play out.

Recruits to Remember

• Cortez Harris (football) - EDGE, 6 feet, 4 inches, 230 lbs, DeMatha Catholic, Hyattsville, MD