On Thursday, Nate Oats and Alabama got tremendous recruiting news with Top 30 2027 prospect Anderson Diaz announcing his commitment to the Crimson Tide. Diaz could be a reclassification candidate, too, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that he ends up in the 2026 class and on next season's roster.
Diaz is an elite scoring guard with strong handles and shot-making ability. He's averaged over 20 points per game on the Nike EYBL circuit this spring while knocking down over 40% of his three-point attempts.
He's the exact point guard archetype that Oats has always coveted, and regardless of whether he's able to reclass and play next year, he ensures the future of the Tide's backcourt is in good hands.
Landing Diaz would be good enough on its own, but there was a forgotten detail about his recruitment that makes this that much sweeter for Oats.
Diaz was heavily pursued by Steven Pearl and Auburn, too. In fact, the Tigers hosted the Bronx product on an unofficial visit back in February. He was in town for a game. The game? Alabama's thrilling 96-92 win over Auburn at Neville Arena:
2027 Top-25 overall recruit Anderson Diaz took an unofficial visit to Auburn on Saturday for the Tigers' matchup against Alabama, he told @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@JoeTipton) February 9, 2026
The 6-foot-1 point guards holds offers from both Auburn and Alabama. https://t.co/2imNUmiL8q pic.twitter.com/dIr5ogCoiw
Anderson Diaz watched Alabama beat Auburn on the road 3 months before commitment
As if that win over the Tigers could get any better, right?
Diaz had a front row seat for Labaron Philon's 25 points in The Jungle and Aden Holloway's late-game heroics to put Auburn away down the stretch. Oats couldn't have asked for his guards to put on a better show with Diaz in attendance.
Of course, Alabama likely would have won out in this recruitment regardless. There aren't many college basketball coaches who can pitch the freedom and development of the Tide's system under Nate Oats. He's already produced multiple lottery picks at the guard position, and could be well on his way to another next month with Philon.
The system is built for guards, and there's never much concern that Oats is going to find elite ones. He's landed some highly recruited prospects while turning some off-the-radar guys into high-end guards at the same time.
Diaz could be next in line. If he's able to reclassify into the 2026 class, he'll give Alabama some Holloway insurance as the Tide's rising senior guard goes through the legal process this summer stemming from his March arrest on felony marijuana charges.
And if not, he gives Oats and the Crimson Tide a significant head start on their 2027 class.
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