Alabama Basketball: Nate Oats and transfer questions

Alabama Basketball has seven scholarship players for next season. The latest comes from Kris Parker moving from verbal commit to signed. The seven number is somewhat misleading. It does not include Charles Bediako and Mark Sears. Both are testing their viability with NBA teams. After gaining valuable NBA feedback both are expected to play another season for the Crimson Tide.

So the near-lock roster count for Nate Oats is nine. Jahvon Quinerly has made no public statement about the NBA or returning to Alabama. There have been frequent rumors Jahvon Quinerly is seriously considering a return. If he does, then Nate Oats likely has 10 scholarship players for the 2023-24 season.

Alabama Basketball needs at least two or three more impact players to be added through the Transfer Portal. Since the season ended for the Crimson Tide, 15-plus, known transfer prospects have been on the Crimson Tide’s radar. The actual number, though no doubt higher, is not known.

Among 16 transfer prospects, reported to have been in contact with Alabama, Nate Oats has landed one, 6’7″ wing, Jaykwon Walton. Eight others have been snatched up by Arkansas, LSU, Auburn, Indiana, San Diego State, Pitt, Houston and Arizona State.

Walton must receive an NCAA waiver to be eligible next season.

Alabama Basketball Transfer Prospects

In recent days the most chatter about Alabama and transfer prospects has been about Wofford, power forward, B.J. Mack; Cal-State-Fullerton, guard, Latrell Wrightsell Jr.; Hofstra, shooting guard, Aaron Estrada, and most recently North Texas, point guard, Tylor Perry.

Mack, Wrightsell Jr. and Perry are expected to visit Tuscaloosa in the near future. Hopefully, Estrada will visit as well. Estrada has announced a decision date of Apr. 29.

Estrada and Perry appear to be well-suited for the Nate Oats style of play. Both are good three-point shooters. Perry’s numbers outside the arc were 41.3% last season. Despite being described as a point guard, he is more of an ‘off-ball’ rather than ‘on-ball’ player, best suited to catch and shoot. All his stats are impressive, except last season, his assist average was only 2.1 per game.

If some basketball recruiting experts are correct, Cincinnati has a big advantage over the Crimson Tide for Estrada. Nate Oats must battle Arkansas and Ole Miss  (and others) for Perry. Some Alabama basketball insiders think Arkansas will land Perry.

Alabama basketball fans prefer the Crimson Tide’s roster situation to become settled sooner than later. But there is time and more players enter the Portal daily. Quinerly does not have to make a firm decision for weeks.