Alabama Basketball: Another offseason of roster reconstruction

Alabama Basketball Returning Players

By the time transfer portal season wrapped up, Coach Nate Oats was only able to retain three contributors from the 2022-23 roster. Senior guard Mark Sears, sophomore wing Rylan Griffen, and senior forward Nick Pringle should take on leadership roles this season as the lone returners.

Redshirt freshman wing Davin Cosby is also considered a returner, though he has yet to play a game for the Tide. Cosby joined the program for the second semester last year and was present for Bama’s historic season.

Mark Sears started every game at guard, averaging 12.5 points per game. Sears is dangerous as a scorer and facilitator, and is a very good rebounder for his size. He should be one of the SEC’s best guards next season.

Rylan Griffen could also be primed for an All-SEC caliber season. The sophomore wing contributed 5.9 points per game as a true freshman last year. He had an 11-game stretch from January 14 to February 18 in which he scored double figures six times, averaging nearly 10 points per game and shooting 44 percent from the three-point line. With Brandon Miller leaving a gaping void in the lineup, Rylan Griffen will be asked to step up.

Nick Pringle was extremely effective and efficient as a lob-catching reserve big last season. He will likely start in 2023-24, and will have the challenge of maintaining his efficient play over a larger sample size.