2025 NBA Draft: Alabama's Loaded Roster Boasts Multiple NBA Prospects

Coming off of a Final Four appearance, Alabama is primed for another elite season behind several returners, as well as an influx of prep and transfer talent. Who are some of these talents, and what are their ceilings?

Alabama Crimson Tide guard Mark Sears (1) shoots against Connecticut Huskies guard Hassan Diarra (10) in the semifinals of the men's Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at State Farm Stadium. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY

When a person thinks of The University of Alabama, the first thought is typically Nick Saban's Crimson Tide football program that dominated the landscape of college football for a decade and a half. But with Nate Oats leading a new era of Alabama hoops, the phrase "Roll Tide" may come to mean more than just gridiron success.

Alabama came off of its best season ever in basketball in 2023, making a Final Four before running into the buzzsaw that was UConn basketball in the National Semifinal, losing a hard-fought game 86-72.

This was not a fluke run, nor was it a run that can't be replicated considering the infrastructure in place in Tuscaloosa. The Southeastern Conference has improved drastically in basketball over the last 10 or so years due to an influx of high-level Xs-and-Os coaches entering the league, and it is now as competitive as it has ever been in the sport at large.

Despite the challenges of a difficult conference, Alabama has the best roster in the SEC entering the 2024-25 season, and is primed not just to make the Final Four for a second season in a row, but to compete for a National Championship.

There are a few players on the roster that will certainly play in the NBA, and a few other fringe players that could also find themselves on rosters. Here are the top prospects for the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Derrion Reid | Combo Forward | Freshman

A five-star in the 2024 class out of Prolific Prep in Napa, California, Derrion Reid is a highly versatile athlete who can slot in at both the four- and five-spot. Though he has more of a power forward skillset at the moment, he is still a monster in transition despite lacking an elite handle at this point in time.

Standing at 6-foot-8 and weighing a solid 220 pounds, Reid has the physicality to fight for rebounds inside and does nearly all of his scoring at the rim. According to Synergy Sports, he was 72nd percentile amongst qualified players in points per shot at 1.09 while at Prolific Prep.

Reid is a player with the athletic framework within which he can operate at both forward spots, and if he can develop a more effective handle, could easily be considered a lottery-pick talent in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Jarin Stevenson | Power Forward | Sophomore

Another top Alabama prospect is returning forward Jarin Stevenson, who will have an increased role this year as an athletic, bouncy 6-foot-11 rim runner. A good screener, Stevenson is helpful on the offensive end in helping guards spring free using his mobility to his advantage, as he has great movement for a player that stands at nearly 7-foot.

Though his strengths mostly involve cutting and finishing, he has also demonstrated the ability to step out and hit threes on occasion, though he is extremely streaky from beyond the arc (just 31.7% on 2.7 attempts/game last season).

If the 3-point shot can improve and he can become an effective pick-and-pop big on top of the athleticism and interior skills, then Stevenson could find himself in the back half of the first round in 2025.

Mark Sears | Point Guard | Senior

The leader of last year's elite squad, Mark Sears is back in Tuscaloosa after considering entering into the NBA Draft, where some experts had him as high as a top 20 pick.

Despite being an undersized guard at 6-foot-1, the unanimous preseason All-American returns to the Tide seeking the school's first National Championship in hoops after having one of the best seasons an Alabama player has ever had in 2023-24, putting up 21.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 4.0 assists and being 90th percentile in points per shot at a ridiculous 1.20.

Sears has been compared to New York Knicks and Villanova star Jalen Brunson, who is of a similar stature, played multiple college years, and dominated – but beyond that, his smooth game and ability to contort his body to finish through contact against bigger players makes him one of the most intriguing players in the entire class.

Honorable Mentions

A couple of fringe NBA players are Grant Nelson and Rutgers transfer Clifford Omoruyi, though both at this point may be bit of an outside shot to be drafted outright.

Nelson is a 6-foot-10 forward who was one of the top transfer players in the portal in the summer of 2023, selecting Alabama and Nate Oats as his new destination after his departure from North Dakota State. He was an immediate contributor and ended up being selected as an NCAA West Region All-Tournament player in 2024's edition of March Madness.

Omoruyi is a 6-foot-11 center who transferred from Rutgers to the Crimson Tide this past offseason, providing Alabama with some serious rim protection. A true back-to-the-basket big, Omoruyi is a bit of a vestigial piece in a new era of floor-spacing 7-footers, but his defense around the rim and ability to affect shots will make him a valuable piece in college.

Additional players in the transfer class that could get professional looks are Aiden Sherrell (freshman forward, Prolific Prep, four-star), Naasir Cunningham (4-star small forward, Southern California Academy), Labaron Philon (four-star point guard, Link Academy), though they may not see enough playing time to really be considered NBA prospects in their first year.

Regardless of how many players end up in the NBA after the 2024-25 season, the Alabama Crimson Tide roster is beyond loaded.

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