If you were handing out offseason grades, Nate Oats and Alabama basketball would get an incomplete. As April closes, Alabama still has three open roster spots to fill. As such, it's hard to project anything about what kind of team the Crimson Tide might put on the court next season because there are too many unknowns still.
Alabama has added some talented players like Jalil Bethea, a former Top 10 overall recruit. They also added a talented, versatile piece in Taylor Bol Bowen and Patriot League Player of the Year Noah Williamson.
But Alabama has lost key pieces from a year ago. Mark Sears, Chris Youngblood, Grant Nelson, and Cliff Omoruyi all exhausted their eligibility. Alabama also lost rotational players in Mo Dioubate, Jarin Stevenson, and Derrion Reid to the Transfer Portal.
Labaron Philon is also testing the NBA Draft process, and while he has left the door open to potentially return to Tuscaloosa for his sophomore season, his focus right now is 100% on the NBA Draft.
All the uncertainty has led to Alabama slipping in Joe Lunardi's most recent bracketology projection for the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Lunardi currently has Alabama as a 6-seed in the tournament, which would be Alabama's lowest seed since 2022.
Alabama has been a 1-seed, 4-seed, and 2-seed in the last three NCAA Tournaments. The Crimson Tide has made the Sweet 16 the last three seasons and made the Elite Eight in back-to-back seasons, including a Final Four berth a year ago.
Alabama's final three roster spots will determine if they will be great - or merely good.
As things currently stand, Alabama has a void at lead guard and on the wing. That would be solved with the return of Rylan Griffen and Philon coming back.
Right now, Alabama will be hoping for leaps from several players in order to be legitimate contenders again.
Nate Oats could get big steps forward from Bethea and Aiden Sherrell. He could also get Aden Holloway to live up to the promise his five-stars built him up to be. Holloway had a good season for Alabama last year, but a lot will be on his plate if Philon doesn't return.
Oats has earned the benefit of the doubt. Alabama will put a good team on the court next season. How good remains to be seen. And Oats has burdened long-suffering Crimson Tide fans with expectations so that being a consistent tournament team is no longer enough.
Alabama has gotten close enough to sniff the program's first National Championship in school history. They have one more step to take to realize that dream.