With two roster spots still open, Alabama basketball fans have been yearning for Nate Oats to add an additional point guard to the roster. It may not happen, and that's okay, according to Oats.
As things currently stand, returning junior Aden Holloway is the only true point guard on the roster. The Crimson Tide lost Mark Sears to graduation, and Labaron Philon is currently going through the NBA Draft process. Philon is trending toward staying in the draft, leaving, on paper, a big void for Alabama in the backcourt.
There are still some options out there for Alabama. Philon could still choose to return to Tuscaloosa. Arkansas guard Boogie Fland is in the Transfer Portal and just withdrew from the draft. He'll be a player Oats and company will take a long look at, though he might ultimately be unaffordable.
If Alabama strikes out on adding an additional point guard, Oats doesn't believe that's a big deal with how the Crimson Tide plays. Speaking to the media on Wednesday at the Regions Tradition Pro-Am, Oats addressed Alabama's point guard depth:
"We don’t necessarily have to play with just a point guard with the way we play and how we have multiple handlers playing as fast as we do," said Oats. "I think you can play with a three or a four, handling the ball a lot, being a creator for us with how well some of those guys shoot it off the ball, too.”
Oats stressed that Alabama has multiple combo-guards on the roster that can handle the ball, too. He specifically mentioned returning players such as Latrell Wrightsell and Houston Mallette as players who could handle the ball some. Miami's Jalil Bethea can certainly take some of the burden as well.
Nate Oats compared this roster build to his 2020-21 SEC Championship team
While Alabama's roster is still incomplete, and Oats stressed that they would likely at least fill one of the two open roster spots, he compared the current build of this roster to his team that won the SEC Championship in 2020-21.
"You have to go back to our second year and how we played with Herb," said Oats. "We started Herb and really kind of had three two-guards around him, Primo, Shackelford, and Petty. Keon Ellis started a little bit too. All three of those guys, none of them were point guards. We can play where you've got a big creating wing, you look at some of what we've done, maybe what we're bringing in, what we're looking at."
Jahvon Quinerly was the only true point guard on that roster, and he primarily came off the bench. Of course, having Herb Jones was a luxury that won't be afforded to this team. But Oats's point is valid and sums up my thoughts pretty well.
To run this system, you don't have to have a true point guard. Oats doesn't run a ton of set plays and doesn't have a guard tasked with playmaking the entire time for others. It's a luxury, sure, but the system is predicated on dribble-drives and kick-out threes. You need guys who can beat their defender off the dribble and get to the rim more than you need John Stockton.
The top priority for Oats in the Transfer Portal was getting bigger at guard and on the wing. He has accomplished that with the additions of Bethea and Taylor Bol Bowen in the portal, along with bringing in big wings in the recruiting class in Davion Hannah and Amari Allen.
This might not be a vintage Oats offensive team. But the ceiling for them defensively seems to be as high as any since the 2022-23 team that earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. If Alabama can land Cal State Northridge wing Keonte Jones, that ceiling will get even higher.