Alabama Basketball: Nate Oats adds JUCO forward filling roster for now

A day after missing out on Trendon Watford, Alabama basketball head coach, Nate Oats added JUCO All-American forward, James Rojas.

It did not take long for Alabama basketball and James Rojas to pull the trigger after Tendon Watford opted for LSU. The JUCO All-American waited patiently for Watford’s decision. More than a few Crimson Tide fans had hoped Nate Oats would not wait on Watford and risk losing Rojas.

Apparently, Rojas was so solidly sold on Oats exercising patience was not a problem. Earlier this year, Rojas was headed to Buffalo to play for Nate Oats. The relationship between the coach and player goes back a few years.

Some basketball insiders have described Rojas as the perfect forward for Nate Oats’ style of play. At 6-feet-8, he is physical enough to defend near the basket, but on offense, he can also play on the perimeter. He shot 38.4 percent from outside the arc last season. No Alabama basketball players shot the three ball that well last season. Alex Reese was the nearest to Rojas at 37.5 percent. The two players shot an almost equal number of threes, with Rojas shooting one more at 73 attempts.

Nate Oats knows Rojas well and made these comments about the young man.

"He’s exactly what we’ve been looking for in a player starting with the fact that he’s one of the toughest players I’ve ever seen. He’s the ultimate competitor and cares about the team winning first and foremost. He plays with a chip on his shoulder determined to prove he can play with anyone in the country"

In addition to shooting three well, Rojas shot 50.4 percent from the field and 79.5 percent from the free throw line. He averaged 19 points, 6.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

With the addition of Rojas, the 2019-20 Alabama basketball roster is now filled. That could still change. Tevin Mack declared for the NBA Draft but was not invited to the NBA Combine. Mack has until the end of May to decide on a return season in Tuscaloosa. There has been little chatter about what to expect from Mack.

One rumor is Tevin is ready to move on from college and either Europe or the NBA G-league are possible options. The flip side is Mack is another player who should flourish in a Nate Oats offense. A highly productive college season could well enhance Mack’s future NBA Draft chances.

Nate Oats is keeping his options open. Villanova transfer point guard, Jahvon Quinerly is expected to visit Tuscaloosa soon. If Mack goes pro, there would be room on the roster for Quinerly who will have to sit out next season.

There is some conjecture Quinerly will not schedule his Tuscaloosa visit until Mack makes a decision.  Having to sit out a season means he can take his time.