Alabama Basketball: Minus one now could mean plus one and more later

Alabama basketball coach, Nate Oats will test an old premise that less can sometimes more … not now so much, but later in season two of his tenure.

It has been widely reported Alabama basketball player, Tevin Mack is finished with the Crimson Tide. He first tested the NBA Draft waters, and to the surprise of no one who knows basketball, found he is not yet ready for that level.

As that reality slowly seeped in, he began informally working out with teams, not located in Tuscaloosa, AL. Clemson, close to his home, was rumored to be one, Georgia Tech another. Where the transfer portal leads is no longer of concern to Alabama basketball fans. For us, and for Nate Oats, it is time to move on.

Yes, Tevin Mack, properly used, and properly motivated would have been an asset to the 2019-20 Alabama Crimson Tide. Whether Avery Johnson wasted his talents or Tevin never gave consistent defensive effort no longer matters.

Nate Oats has an open roster spot. It is clear the new Alabama basketball head man is not surprised. Who fills that roster slot is not yet a done deal. Broad conjecture is it will be former Villanova player and former 5-Star recruit, Jahvon Quinerly. Quinerly recently spent what has been rumored to have been a very good visit to Tuscaloosa.

Based on his tweet once the Mack news came out, it is clear he is interested in the Crimson Tide. An earlier tweet from Nate Oats showed the coach is excited about the possibility of adding Quinerly.

The young man will have three years of eligibility but must sit out the 2019-20 season. Many college basketball experts expect Kira Lewis to have a stellar year in the Nate Oats offense. If he does, a transition to the NBA could occur after his sophomore season. Such an exit would open the door for Jahvon to take over the 2020-21 Crimson Tide.

Nate Oats is also chasing some elite 2020 class point guards. Oats is in hot pursuit of 5-Star point guards Daishen Nix and Nimari Burnett, both Top 25 players. Deivon Smith, a 4-Star, Top 50 point guard is another top prospect for the Crimson Tide.

As good as that trio are, Quinerly would have the advantage of spending a season learning the Nate Oats offense before they might arrive in Tuscaloosa. Astute basketball observers will add, in that season, Jahvon would need to add some muscle to his lean frame and develop his defensive skills and mentality.

But first, Nate Oats has to not lose Quinerly to Pittsburgh. He has a remaining visit planned and the proximity to his New Jersey home may be an attraction. An even stronger pull is a well-developed relationship with Pittsburgh head coach, Jeff Capel.

If, and the wait should not be a long one, Oats locks down Quinerly, less in the coming season may actually mean more in the following one.

Villanova coach Jay Wright was quite complimentary of Quinerly, even after the young man chose to transfer. Many schools have pursued Jahvon, including Nebraska, Wake Forest, Oregon, Baylor and Florida State.