Alabama Basketball Early 2023-24 Lookahead: Frontcourt

Alabama Basketball had one of the best frontlines in college basketball in 2022-23, which helped the Crimson Tide lead the nation in total rebounds by a fairly significant margin. The group was long, athletic, and had a nose for the basketball, playing harder than most of its opponents. How will the Alabama frontcourt look going forward?

First and foremost, it loses one of its major contributors in freshman Noah Clowney, who has decided to enter the NBA Draft and go one-and-done. Clowney was easily the most versatile member of Alabama’s post collective, and was its most polished offensive option.

He finished his freshman season averaging 9.8 points, 7.9 rebounds, and nearly a block a game. Although Nate Oats’ offense gets most of its scoring from the perimeter, Clowney’s production was significant and will need to be replaced.

Sophomore center Charles Bediako also put his name in the draft, but has left open the option to return to school. Alabama Basketball fans should hope for that return, as Bediako is an experienced player who continues to rapidly progress on both ends of the floor.

Should he depart, Alabama’s frontcourt would suddenly become very thin.  The Tide backcourt already needs transfer portal additions after the recent exit of Jaden Bradley, so it would not be good if the Bama frontcourt was also depleted.

Nick Pringle may see his role increase dramatically next season. The JUCO transfer was an electric reserve big in his first season in Tuscaloosa, providing energy, power, and athleticism off the bench.

Pringle averaged just 3.5 points and 3.1 rebounds per game in limited minutes, but shot just under 85 percent from the field. For the majority of the season, he was well over 90 percent, at one point connecting on 21 of his first 22 shots.

Pringle had late-season breakout games against Georgia (19 points, 12 rebounds) and Texas A&M-CC (19 points, 15 rebounds). Sure, these games weren’t the stiffest competition Alabama faced this year but they showed Pringle’s ability to dominate in extended minutes.

His above-the-rim style and colorful personality make him a fan favorite, but Nick Pringle must refine his offensive repertoire if he is going to excel in an expanded role in 2023-24.

Mouhamed Dioubate joins Alabama Basketball as a 4-star recruit from the class of 2023. He is an undersized big at 6’7”, but plays with grit as a versatile combo forward. He may remind Alabama Basketball fans of a young Noah Gurley.

To be frank, the outlook of the Alabama frontcourt is largely dependent on the return of Charles Bediako. Even if he returns, it won’t be easy to replace Noah Clowney. Barring Coach Nate Oats landing a big fish in the transfer portal, Alabama Basketball will not have anybody with Clowney’s skillset next year.

Ideally, Bediako and Pringle will both improve and combine to be a force in the paint. A newcomer such as Dioubate, fellow freshman Sam Walters, or an incoming transfer could potentially assume a stretch-four role.