Nate Oats has had success in the past in finding guards from under-the-radar places who ultimately had major impacts for Alabama. He's a guard guru, and there's a reason he wasn't willing to spend a ton of money in the portal this offseason for one, despite losing Labaron Philon and the uncertainty surrounding the futures of Aden Holloway and Amari Allen.
Oats turned Philon from a player many thought would be a redshirt candidate as a freshman into an instant contributor and a likely lottery pick after his sophomore season. Oats pulled Mark Sears from Ohio and Latrell Wrightsell from Cal State Fullerton. He's got an eye for guard talent.
So while it was easy to be disappointed by missing on Furman's Alex Wilkins, Oats prioritized bigs in the portal with Alabama's available resources, landing Kentucky's Brandon Garrison, Mississippi State's Jamarion Davis-Fleming, and most recently Boise State's Drew Fielder.
Alabama still has a need for a guard, and perhaps two if Allen sticks in the draft. For now, Oats is likely bargain shopping. Here are a few under-the-radar names that could be impactful for the Crimson Tide.
Nate Oats could strike gold with one of these 3 Transfer Portal guards
1. Christian Bliss, CG, Delaware
After spending two years on the bench at Virginia, Christian Bliss transferred to Delaware and had a breakout season in the Conference USA. He was a stat sheet stuffer, averaging 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game while knocking down 39.2% from three on 5.5 attempts a night.
His ability as a shooter and facilitator would be a nice fit for the Crimson Tide. At 6-foot-4, he could play in lineups next to Holloway without sacrificing defensively, or he could come off the bench and lead Alabama's second unit.
Things have been quiet around Bliss' recruitment, but he's bound to have options after a strong year for Delaware.
2. Gavin Sykes, CG, Long Beach State
The Modesto, California native wasn't even ranked on 247 as a high school recruit, but he was a revelation for Long Beach State as a freshman. Gavin Sykes averaged 19.4 points per game and shot 38.7% from three on six attempts a night.
Sykes topped 30 points on four separate occasions, including 39 and 34 point outings in the final two games of the season.
He's not the facilitator that Bliss is, but he's got good size at 6-foot-4 and could effectively function as the Wrightsell replacement for the Crimson Tide.
3. Jalen Cox, CG, Colgate
Similar to Bliss, Jalen Cox was a stats sheet stuffer for Colgate during his junior season. He averaged 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 5.3 assists while shooting 52% from the field and 36.5% from three-point range.
Cox is an experienced guard who could slot into Alabama's rotation and make a quick impact. He started 76 games over his three seasons at Colgate.
The issue with Cox is that, with only a season of eligibility left, he could be looking for more of a guaranteed role than Oats would be comfortable giving him, with so much still in limbo for the Crimson Tide. But he's a terrific player who would help Alabama next year.
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