Alabama Basketball: Nate Oats’ relentless in building a top roster

Nate Oats Is a busy guy with Alabama basketball offers flying out of Tuscaloosa as the new Tide head coach builds his player roster.

New Alabama basketball head coach is close to finalizing the Crimson Tide 2019-20 roster. The situation is fluid with somewhere between one and three more slots to fill. After transfer exits by Dazon Ingram, Daniel Giddens and Diante Wood, Oats added two players.

The two additions are graduate transfer combo guard, James ‘Beetle’ Bolden and incoming freshman big man, Raymond Hawkins.

With three freshmen (Juwan Gary, Jaden Shackelford and Jaylen Forbes) already having signed in the early recruiting period, adding Bolden and Hawkins leaves the Crimson Tide with one available slot. Except, one open slot could become more if Tevin Mack gets a good enough NBA grade to leave school early and/or another roster player chooses to transfer out.

Until recently every fan of Alabama basketball was content leaving one slot open for Trendon Watford. More a few knowledgeable insiders believe Watford will eventually choose Memphis or LSU.

The odds are Tevin Mack will learn he needs another season of college ball. There are only occasional rumors of other current Tide players looking to transfer. So, it appears Oats is one player away from completing the 2019-20 roster. Instead of Watford, Oats could choose one of the guys below.

JUCO All-American and former Buffalo commit, James Rojas is one option for Oats. Andre Allen is another former Buffalo commit, JUCO who has re-opened his recruitment. Alabama and Oats reached out to graduate transfer Haanif Cheatham and 2019 recruit Harlond Beverly. Cheatham chose to transfer to Nebraska and Beverly signed with Miami.

In the past several days, Nate Oats has been working hard on the 2020 class and the Tide’s 2020-21 roster. At least seven new offers have been made by Oats and his staff. Check out those players below.

• Jahvon Quinnerly – Transfer from Villanova; former McDonald’s All-American, 6’2″ Combo Guard. Quinnerly got limited playing time for Jay Wright. He has plenty of offensive skills but as a freshman struggled defensively. After sitting out one season, he will have three remaining years of eligibility.
• R. J. Cole – Transfer from Howard (MEAC); Was MEAC Player of the Year; Combo Guard; 38.7 percent, three-point-shooter. After sitting out one season, he will have two remaining years of eligibility.
• Andre Jackson – Albany, NY; the 4-Star Shooting Guard is a top prospect, ranked as the No. 40 Player Overall in the 2020 class.
• Cameron Matthews – Olive Branch, MS; 3-Star, 6’6″; Small Forward
• Cam’Ron Fletcher – St. Louis, MO; 6’6″, 4-Star, Small Forward and the No. 38 Player Overall in the 2020 class.
• Hunter Dickinson – Hyattsville, MD (Dematha); 7’2″, 5-Star, Center and No. 24 Player Overall in the 2020 class.
• Nimari Burnett – Napa, CA; 6’3″, 5-Star, Combo Guard and the No. 25 Player Overall in the 2020 class.
• Austin Harvell – Athens, AL; 6’3″, 3-Star, Shooting Guard. Harvell is not a new offer but Nate Oats is scheduled to meet with Austin and his family soon.

Alabama basketball has issued only one offer in the 2022 class. Nate Oats issued it to a player recruited by Antoine Pettway. The player is a 6’3″ eighth-grade point guard from Henderson, NV, named Dior Johnson.

All player rankings in this post are from the 247Sports Composite.

Oats and his staff are working so hard and fast, it is hard to keep up. Check in frequently with Bama Hammer as we provide the latest updates.