Alabama may or may not have the most talented team in college basketball in 2024-25, but it would be difficult to argue that Nate Oats’ roster is not the deepest.
Alabama’s roster will be loaded from top to bottom with more-than-capable players this season, to say nothing of Bama’s top-end talent which includes a surefire All-American and several All-SEC candidates. When looking at the Tide’s roster, one finds a potent two-deep to rival anybody in the country. As sportswriter Aaron Torres says, Alabama is Noah’s Ark; it has two of everything.
Even beyond the projected top ten roster spots, the Tide's depth is very promising. The 11th, 12th, and 13th man on paper are sophomore Mouhamed Dioubate, who contributed as a freshman last season, and 4-star freshmen Labaron Philon and Naas Cunningham.
Dioubate was a borderline top-100 prospect in high school who already has a year of SEC hoops under his belt. Philon and Cunningham were top-50 players who could’ve gone just about anywhere they wanted.
With this much depth, Coach Oats will have nearly endless options. While much can change between now and November, here is my prediction for Alabama’s starting lineup.
1 Mark Sears
Sears could make a claim to be the best returning player in college basketball. A gritty combo guard, he could very easily start at the 2 to make room for Auburn transfer point guard Aden Holloway, but I have Sears at the 1 with Holloway as the backup in this projection. Philon, a very talented freshman, further solidifies the point guard position.
2 Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
Wrightsell Jr. was a lights out shooter, reliable ball-handler, and tough defender last season. He returns for his second year in the program and will be a key cog in one of the best and most experienced backcourts in college hoops. Along with Sears, transfers Chris Youngblood and Houston Mallette could also play the 2-guard spot.
3 Chris Youngblood
At 6'4" and well over 220 pounds, Youngblood plays with more than enough physicality to bump down to the 3. Like a bigger version of Wrightsell, he brings tenacious perimeter defense and elite shooting to the floor. With his experience and two-way ability, I expect him to start next to Sears and Wrightsell.
Fellow transfer Houston Mallette could also slot in here at 6’5” with a pretty outside shot. Freshmen Derrion Reid and Naas Cunningham are naturals at the small forward position if Oats wants to play someone with more traditional size. Reid in particular may be too good to keep off the court.
4 Grant Nelson
Nelson returns as Bama’s top frontcourt option. He was very solid towards the tail end of last season, and should make another jump in his second year in Tuscaloosa. Nelson is talented enough to be a first-team All-SEC player if everything comes together.
Bama will get depth at the 4 from a pair of very good sophomores in Jarin Stevenson and Mo Dioubate. Stevenson gives the Tide a pro prospect off the bench and significantly raises the overall ceiling of the team.
5 Cliff Omoruyi
Omoruyi was the biggest fish in a huge offseason haul for Bama hoops. He gives the Tide a legitimate starting center to dominate the paint on both ends of the court. Highly-touted freshman Aiden Sherrell is a quality backup and change-of-pace option with more perimeter skill than Omoruyi.
It will be fun to watch Coach Oats and his staff experiment with this roster. I have little doubt that there are several winning combinations that Oats could put on the floor; it will just be a matter of finding the lineup that works best.