It has been a productive offseason for Nate Oats and Alabama basketball so far. It was clear that Oats had a primary goal in mind with improving the frontcourt and getting bigger and more versatile across the roster.
Three of Alabama's four Transfer Portal additions so far have been frontcourt additions, with Brandon Garrison (Kentucky), Jamarion Davis-Fleming (Mississippi State), and Drew Fielder (Boise State).
Oats also added Cole Cloer, a former Top 30 recruit in this high school class, before he reclassified and joined NC State in January. He's essentially the fourth addition to Alabama's highly-regarded 2026 high school class, which features multiple players who should be able to carve out quick roles in Tuscaloosa.
But there are still some question marks for Oats and Alabama as we get further into the offseason.
1. Will Amari Allen stay in the NBA Draft?
Clarity should come in the next few weeks on Amari Allen. The talented freshman is going through the NBA Draft process, which gets started in earnest next week in Chicago for the Combine.
Allen is a projected first-round pick by most experts, but he has a wide range of possibilities. Some experts have him creeping up toward the lottery, which he could potentially solidify with strong workouts next week. Others have him more toward the end of the first round.
If Allen pops at the combine and works his way up toward the top half of the first round, he'll likely stay in the draft. If he doesn't, then he should return to Alabama for his sophomore season. His plans remain to be seen, but he's not the biggest variable remaining on the board for Oats.
2. Will Aden Holloway clear his legal hurdles and play at Alabama again?
While clarity should come soon-ish on Allen, Alabama could be waiting quite a while before knowing whether or not Aden Holloway will be back on the court next season.
Holloway was arrested in March, just a few days before the start of the NCAA Tournament on felony charges stemming from marijuana possession. He was removed from campus and missed March Madness as a result, but his campus ban was ultimately overturned. He plans to re-enroll at Alabama in the fall and re-join the basketball team, but that decision won't be fully up to him or anyone with the Crimson Tide.
Holloway was Alabama's second-leading scorer last season and one of the nation's top three-point shooters. Oats has built the roster with Holloway in mind, and recently stated that the Tide would hold a scholarship for him. But they also have contingency plans in place in the event that Holloway isn't able to play.
3. Can Brandon Garrison live up to his potential?
Losing Aiden Sherrell was the only real blow for Alabama in the Transfer Portal. He had morphed into a terrific player as a sophomore, becoming a huge part of the Tide's offense and one of the SEC's top shot blockers.
Oats made a significant investment in Kentucky transfer Brandon Garrison, and he and Jamarion Davis-Fleming should provide some much-needed athleticism at the five spot for the Crimson Tide.
But Garrison was highly inconsistent over his two years at Kentucky, and no fans in Lexington were all that sad to see him go. Oats is banking on the fact that he's a better coach and developer than Mark Pope, hoping to pull out the significant potential that Garrison displayed during his freshman season at Oklahoma State and sporadically during his two-year run with Kentucky.
If you want to see the vision with Garrison, watch his performance against Santa Clara in the first round of the NCAA Tournament this year. He was a monster on both ends, particularly down the stretch, and if he can provide that consistently for Alabama, he might ultimately prove to be an upgrade over Sherrell, at least in terms of his fit and play style in Oats' system.
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