One reason for Alabama Basketball success over the last three seasons is that Nate Oats has used the Transfer Portal to masterfully rebuild rosters. Many Crimson Tide fans are optimistic that Oats is doing it again to build the 2025-26 roster. Many, does not many all fans of Bama roundball. There are doubters who see troubling signs that Alabama's NIL budget is not sufficient to field a championship team.
College basketball expert Jeff Goodman recently estimated that close to 15 teams will have $10M player payroll budgets for the 25-26 season. No credible source has suggested that Alabama Basketball will come close to having $10M to spend.
A fair claim can be made that Alabama lost Mo Dioubate to Kentucky's higher player budget. Money (as in not enough of it) may have also affected the transfer decisions made by Jarin Stevenson and Derrion Reid. Labaron Philon is pursuing an NBA dream. His decision to go or stay may not come down to money, but it is expected to be a significant factor. At least one player Alabama targeted in the Portal was believed to have the Crimson Tide as his favorite. Instead, Adrian Wooley transferred to Louisville without visiting Tuscaloosa to entertain an offer. Louisville is one of the programs often mentioned as having a $10M player budget.
The impact of roster attrition must be measured by talent, not by how many new players are on a roster. Annual roster rebuilds are the new norm and teams have succeeded after massive makeovers. The problem is the makeovers are easiest for teams with the biggest budgets.
Alabama has had a Nate Oats discount. Players love his system. Oats has shown that Alabama Basketball is an excellent path to the NBA. Oats has also spent money wisely.
Alabama Basketball has two elite recruiters
Crimson Tide assistant, Preston Murphy, is an elite recruiter with long-established connections to players. Murphy gives Alabama an added advantage. Will it be enough? It can be, but more so than ever before, Oats, Murphy, and Alabama's analytics team must be the data-Guru equivalent of Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill in Moneyball. The title of the Michael Lewis book, from which the film was made, is: Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.
The current no-rules world of college sports is an unfair game. Which is not to say that throwing money at college basketball players is new. It has been widespread for decades. Optimism for Alabama basketball fans can come from knowing that Nate Oats is so far ahead of most coaches that even with less money the Crimson Tide should continue to be a top team. Just imagine what he could do with a budget equal to BYU, Michigan, Louisville, Kentucky, Arkansas and the other big spenders.