Nate Oats has a clear vision for his Alabama roster in the 2026-27 season, and for the first time since he arrived in Tuscaloosa, that vision isn’t simply to fill the court with as many shooters as possible. While Oats will likely never stray away from his analytically driven approach, the math has changed in college basketball, and Oats has responded in kind.
Rather than maximizing for three-point shooting and welcoming the variance that accompanies it, the best programs in the country have put a premium on interior dominance, constructing multi-big lineups that maximize easy shots around the rim while limiting those same looks on the defensive end.
Oats, after a season spent being bludgeoned by the Arizona, Florida, and even suffering a loss to similarly built Tennessee, has acquiesced to the changing landscape and has built a roster in that image. The additions of Brandon Garrison, Drew Fielder, and Jamarion Davis-Fleming have more than made up for Aiden Sherrell’s departure. Yet, the Crimson Tide’s roster is not yet complete because there is one obvious issue that Oats hasn’t addressed.
Alabama needs Aden Holloway insurance
On Wednesday, Nate Oats confirmed that his plan is to keep a roster spot and scholarship available for Aden Holloway in hopes of a “positive outcome” to his legal proceedings after a March arrest.
While Oats seems to have reason to believe Holloway will be cleared to play next season, not securing a reliable insurance policy against that is borderline malpractice. The Transfer Portal has nearly dried up, Labaron Philon Jr. is off to the NBA, and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. is out of eligibility. So, as Amari Allen mulls his NBA future up to the May 27 deadline, Oats is left with incoming four-star freshman Qayden Samuels as his lone potential lead guard.
Even if both Holloway and Allen return, Alabama could likely use backcourt depth, with no clear backup point guard on the roster, but if Holloway is unable to play college basketball next season because of his legal standing, Alabama will have the opposite problem than last year, with too few guards rather than too many.
While portal activity has slowed, there are still a few uncommitted guards who could factor into Oats’s plan. If not, he could turn to international recruiting, which has provided other needy programs with their missing pieces in recent days. However, he goes about it, Oats should bring in a backup point guard because banking an entire roster construction on the judicial system playing out to your liking isn’t the best team-building strategy.
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