Alabama Basketball: NBA Draft decisions and transfer portal update

The picture of the 2023-24 Alabama Basketball roster is becoming clearer by the day, and the latest news isn’t great for Crimson Tide fans.

Freshman forward Noah Clowney has decided to enter the NBA Draft, joining teammate Brandon Miller as a one-and-done talent in Tuscaloosa. Clowney was perhaps the most important “hinge” player for Bama hoops, and it appears as though he will not return.

The 6’10” forward played in and started 36 games for Alabama Basketball this season, averaging 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game. While a very sound argument could be made for Clowney to come back to school and boost his NBA stock, he did plenty in 2022-23. Clearly, he has received positive feedback from NBA scouts, and no one can blame him for moving on.

In a slightly more surprising decision, sophomore center Charles Bediako also declared for the NBA Draft, leaving the door open for a return to school. Should Bediako and Clowney both depart, the Alabama frontcourt will suddenly look precariously thin heading into 2023-24.

Quality bigs aren’t easy to come by, so it should come as no surprise if Coach Nate Oats begins taking a harder look at transfer portal post players.

A valuable contributor on both ends of the floor, Bediako is one of the most experienced sophomores in the country. He started all 37 games for the most successful Alabama Basketball team in school history in 2022-23, and has started 67 of 70 games in his career. While he is not a polished offensive weapon, he showed lots of improvement from year one to year two.

Charles Bediako will likely never be a “feed the post and get out of the way” type of player, but he provides immense value within his niche. He excels as a lob threat and rim protector, and is a very strong rebounder. As a sophomore, he averaged 6.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game (3rd in the SEC), while shooting over 68 percent on two-point field goal attempts to lead the league.

Alabama Basketball: Another possible portal option

As the departures pile up, Nate Oats will have to restock the cupboard through the transfer portal. He is already off to a good start with the commitment of Wichita State wing Jaykwon Walton.

Oats has also connected with several other transfer portal targets, most recently reaching out to Tulane guard Jalen Cook. Cook began his career at LSU before spending the last two seasons dominating the American Athletic Conference. He is a well-rounded guard with some similarities to current Alabama guard Mark Sears.

As a junior in 2022-23, he averaged 19.9 points, 4.9 assists, and 1.8 steals per game for the Green Wave. Cook is a 36.9 percent career three-point shooter, but can score at all three levels. He shot 52.5 percent on two-point shots this season, an impressive figure for a 6’0” guard. He is also efficient from the free throw line at 84.5 percent.

Oats may have more work to do than expected in terms of roster reconstruction, but he hasn’t given Alabama Basketball fans any reason to doubt his ability to get the job done.