Late Summer Crimson Tide Basketball Recruiting Update

Which targets have the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball staff honed in on as the summer comes to a close? We have got the rundown for you.

ICYMI: Alabama Basketball on the Rise with Recent Grad Transfers

This is the time of year that the recruiting efforts of college basketball staffs across the country start to pay off in the form of campus visits from the prospects they’ve evaluated for tireless hours all summer. Crimson Tide Head Coach Avery Johnson and staff have pounded the pavement all summer and their efforts appear to have been noticed.

Here is a list of the prospects the Crimson Tide basketball staff has honed in on as well as the dates the prospects have visited or will visit The Capstone:

John Petty (August 25 – August 26): The state’s top prospect is in the middle of a Kentucky and Alabama tug-of-war at the moment but things appear to be trending in the Tide’s direction. There are rumors out there that Kentucky’s staff has cooled on Petty and has focused their efforts on other prospects all while the Alabama staff has made it known that he is either ranked 1 or 1A on their board for the 2017 class. A commitment from Petty this weekend could begin the snowball that is this class’ trip down the hill but don’t expect it.

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Troy Brown Jr (September 9 – September 10): Another five-star prospect the Tide has made a priority is Troy Brown Jr from Las Vegas, Nevada. Alabama earned a soft-spot in Troy Brown’s heart back when he used to love to watch Trevor Releford play in Tuscaloosa. Cal is the favorite to land a signature of Brown but that hasn’t deterred the Alabama staff from making it known that Troy Brown is a priority for them. He has gone out of his way several times to mention how hard the Alabama staff is recruiting him and those efforts will be rewarded with a visit the first home football game weekend.

Alex Reese (Unofficially visited August 21 and will return for an official October 1): The Birmingham, Alabama native has been a priority for all of the in-state schools and many of the surrounding state schools for a couple of years now. Alex visited campus with his family and girlfriend August 21st and reportedly enjoyed their time on campus. The four-star recruit recently cut his list to five schools: Alabama, Georgia, Arizona State, UAB and Cincinnati. Many consider Alabama to be the favorite here.

DJ Harvey Jr (Unofficially visited August 18-August 21): This visit was a bit of a surprise after Harvey cut his list to ten and did not include Alabama. Apparently, things changed after the trim when he tweeted that Alabama was still in the mix. Not only did he say this but he backed it up with action when he visited Tuscaloosa for a couple of days this summer and is reportedly planning to return during football season. Harvey, originally from Alabama but now lives in Maryland, is yet another five-star that the Alabama staff has gotten the attention of and appears to be a dark horse to watch out for.

Herb Jones (Unofficially visited August 2): The top 100 prospect from Moundville, Alabama, in the backyard of the University of Alabama, saw his stock rise this summer when he pulled in offers from the likes of Florida, Georgia Tech, Stanford, Western Kentucky and Florida State amongst many others. The Alabama staff made it known this in-state gem was a priority as they followed him around watching his AAU games this summer. I wouldn’t be surprised if Herb uses his official visits on campuses he can’t walk to but should frequent the Alabama campus this fall as the November signing period draws near.

Rayshaun Hammonds (October 21): This teammate of Herb Jones on the Alabama Challenge AAU squad is a HIGH-priority target and would be a huge piece of this Alabama recruiting class. Hammonds, from Norcross, Georgia just north of Atlanta, is a prospect the Alabama staff got in on early and has coveted from the start. Alabama is the favorite to land his signature but don’t rule out Texas, Memphis or Miami, schools Hammonds plans to also officially visit this summer/fall. Hammonds will visit for the Texas A&M football game weekend, one many expect to be a big basketball recruiting weekend in Tuscaloosa.

Collin Sexton (Official visit To-Be-Scheduled): Last but absolutely, positively not to be confused with least. This is the 1B(or even 1A) I was referring to in the John Petty snippet. The “Young Bull”, as his friends, family and teammates call him, has CHARGED up the 2017 class rankings this summer. Collin led the EYBL circuit in scoring this summer and put summer team after summer team on his back on his way to championship after championship. Collin and his family are very familiar with the benefits Coach Avery and staff could bring him and the Alabama and staff are certainly no stranger to the benefits he would bring to Tuscaloosa as well. This top ten prospect will most certainly visit the Alabama campus this summer/fall and is sure to be treated with a warm welcome from the Alabama staff, fans and students alike when he does. If you haven’t seen Collin’s highlights do yourself a favor and google him right now, also make sure you recognize his face so you can give him a big “Roll Tide” when he and his family visit this fall.

Alabama will have four spots open for next year’s class after Jimmie Taylor, Shannon Hale, Corban Collins and Bola Olaniyan depart. That being said, I wouldn’t be shocked to see Alabama bring on five or six in this class.

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These aren’t the only prospects Alabama is recruiting, these are just the prospects that I know have set up visits or have mentioned they intend to visit before the November signing period.

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