Nate Oats wanted to rebuild Alabama's frontcourt this offseason. After getting bullied by the bigger, more physical teams on their schedule, Oats knew that if the Crimson Tide was going to take the next step to being a national title contender, they had to get bigger up front.
One of the immediate targets for Alabama was a bit surprising: Kentucky big man Brandon Garrison, who had an inconsistent two-year stint in Lexington after a promising freshman campaign at Oklahoma State.
But Oats saw a skilled and versatile player while watching tape on Garrison. He may have his detractors, but Oats is confident he can pull the best out of the Kentucky transfer.
Garrison looked at Alabama as an obvious fit for his skills. At SEC Tip-Off on Tuesday, he detailed the role that former Tide forward Mo Dioubate, who spent last season with Garrison at Kentucky, had in his decision to make the move to Tuscaloosa.
"When I was in the portal, obviously we're close, so I was talking to him about it," Garrison said of conversing with Dioubate about Alabama. "He kinda knew where my head was leaning towards, but he's been here; he loved it here. Don't think he wanted to leave, honestly. He told me how the coaches was, the blue-collar they have, the style they play. It fits my game; it's a no-brainer."
Mo Dioubate gave Alabama an assist in its pursuit of Kentucky transfer Brandon Garrison
Obviously, the most revealing part of Garrison's comments was that he believes Dioubate never wanted to leave Alabama. He spent two years in Tuscaloosa, quickly becoming a fan-favorite with his blue-collar toughness and hustle, but he decided to enter the portal after his sophomore season, when he ultimately chose Kentucky.
After one season with the Wildcats, Dioubate re-entered the portal and is now in Baton Rouge to play for Will Wade and LSU.
Garrison impressed in his Alabama debut last week against Furman in the first exhibition game of the preseason. He scored 15 points on a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor, showcasing an inside-out offensive game. He knocked down his lone three-point attempt, doing the majority of his damage in the paint.
Oats intends to unlock every part of Garrison's offensive repertoire.
Following the win over Furman, Oats declared that Garrison was the best passing big man he's ever coached. That's a surprising revelation, and not something that he has been known for during his first three years of college ball.
Amari Allen doubled down on that as well on Tuesday.
“BG, personally, he’s the best passer I’ve ever played with,” Allen said. ‘The passes he makes in practice, it’s crazy. He throws it between guys’ legs and everything. He can also defend super well and rebound."
It's clear that Alabama has high expectations for Garrison this season. Oats and the staff intend to pull out of him the consistency that was missing in his two years at Kentucky, while unlocking the underutilized portions of his game.
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