Well, it's officially time to get worried about Alabama's backcourt for 2026-27.
Despite losing Labaron Philon to the draft and Latrell Wrightsell to exhausted eligibility, not to mention the legal trouble surrounding Aden Holloway putting his future in doubt, Nate Oats has chosen not to aggressively pursue any of the top guards in the portal.
One of the top options left available was Furman's Alex Wilkins, a 6-foot-5 combo guard who seemed like a perfect complement to Holloway. On Saturday, Wilkins committed to Kentucky without ever visiting Alabama. It doesn't appear that Oats pushed too hard to try to make that happen.
And now, despite some front-court upgrades, next season for Alabama could already be teetering on the brink of disaster because the guard play is a total question mark. In a system that is predicated on guards, Oats' lack of aggression in filling Philon's spot is mysterious.
Alabama could be running out of options at guard in the Transfer Portal
Wilkins was the exact type of guard you push the chips in the middle of the table for. It's obvious why Oats would prioritize bigs, but it's not like Alabama hit massive homeruns with a backup from Kentucky and a backup from Mississippi State. Both are good players, no doubt, but if the Tide broke the bank for either, that would have been a curious use of resources.
It's another sign that makes you question whether Greg Byrne and the Alabama administration are ever going to spend the money to allow Oats to seriously compete for a National Championship in this era of college basketball.
There are other talented guards in the portal, and perhaps some others could enter between now and the April 21st deadline, but options are running a bit thin.
The top guy left available is Wisconsin's John Blackwell, but it's hard to envision Alabama opening the checkbook for him, particularly fighting against a blue blood like Duke to make it happen.
Alabama hasn't been seriously linked to any others so far. That doesn't mean Oats hasn't been in contact with the, though. The Tide's head coach tends to move in silence in identifying and pursuing options in the portal. Boise State forward/center Drew Fielder was never linked to Alabama until it was announced he was going to visit Tuscaloosa this weekend.
Davion Hannah's decision to enter the portal seemed to indicate that Alabama had an upgrade in mind in the backcourt. Most hoped that would be Wilkins.
And while Oats has certainly earned the benefit of the doubt when building Alabama's roster, it's fair for Alabama fans to be worried right now. Especially after striking out on last year's portal haul.
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