Nate Oats and Alabama had been one of the top teams in contention for USC transfer guard/wing Desmond Claude. Claude is one of the top remaining players available in the Transfer Portal. Recently, he had seen his official visit to Tuscaloosa get rescheduled. It appears now that visit will not happen.
With Labaron Philon unexpectedly returning to Alabama at the last minute on Wednesday night, it appears that Alabama's pursuit of Claude is now over.
Claude averaged 15.8 points per game last year at USC after transferring to the Trojans. He spent the two previous seasons at Xavier.
Claude is likely to command a pretty penny in NIL money. Alabama undoubtedly had to pony up to get Philon to exit the NBA Draft and return to school. Claude would likely exceed the budget of what funds are left available for Oats.
Alabama is likely set at guard, anyway, with Philon's return. Philon will join a loaded backcourt that includes Aden Holloway, Latrell Wrightsell, Jalil Bethea, Houston Mallette, and incoming freshman Davion Hannah.
Alabama may still look to add one more piece in the Transfer Portal
Alabama still has one open roster spot available following Philon's decision to return.
Ideally, that spot will be filled by a wing or a hybrid 4/5. Landing an emergency big man would probably be the most ideal, but the Crimson Tide could still have some minutes up for grabs on the wing.
Alabama has been linked to Cal State Northridge wing Keonte Jones in the past, but things have been quiet with regards to his recruitment. He still hasn't officially received a waiver to even play college basketball next season.
There are still some options available for Oats and the staff to pursue. At this point, however, it would be a luxury addition. Philon changes everything for the Crimson Tide and the current 12-man roster is plenty good enough to compete with anyone in the country.
Ideally you would like to fill all 13 of your scholarship positions to have insurance in case of injuries, but it is difficult to do so. Alabama had a full 13-man roster last year and still struggled to keep everyone happy even with three players ultimately redshirting.
Prior to Philon's decision to return, there were genuine questions about the roster and who would step up. Now, the only question remaining is a familiar one for Oats: how is he going to distribute minutes in a manner that keeps everyone happy?