Chris Youngblood was one of the prizes of Alabama basketball's transfer portal haul in the 2024 offseason. The USF transfer was the Co-AAC Player of the Year last season after averaging 15.3 points per game on shooting splits of 46/42/83.
Youngblood shot over 40% in three straight seasons in college basketball, coming to Tuscaloosa with the pedigree of one of the best shooters in the country and a glove-like fit for Nate Oats' system. Unfortunately, Youngblood suffered an ankle injury in the offseason that slowed his development and his fit on the roster.
He missed the first nine games of the year due to the injury and it has taken some time for him to acclimate and find his role for this team. It hasn't been easy for a guy who has played over 30 minutes per game in all four of his previous collegiate seasons to accept what has been a reduced, off-the-bench role for Alabama, but Youngblood has done it all with a smile on his face. Even when he wasn't able to play, his leadership for this team has shined.
Alabama has a deep roster and a lot of guys have had to sacrifice minutes for the betterment of the team. It's worked as the Crimson Tide sits at 18-3 overall and 7-1 in SEC play and are a consensus projected No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament with a resume that stacks up against any team in America.
Youngblood made his debut for Alabama against Creighton on December 14th. In his first six games, he only scored in double-figures once and shot just 8/32 (25%) from three, averaging 6.7 points per game. In the six games since, Youngblood has scored in double-figures four times, has shot 15/38 (39.4%) from three, and is averaging 14.3 points per game.
Wednesday night in Starkville was Youngblood's coming out party. He hit 7/10 from three and scored a season-high 23 points. Alabama needed every single one of those points to escape with a win over Mississippi State. He hit timely shots, connected on a pair of clutch free throws down the stretch, and he took the assignment of guarding Josh Hubbard down the stretch, helping the Crimson Tide get some key stops late in the game to eke out the victory.
Perhaps most impressively, Youngblood had a calm about him in the clutch. He didn't look fazed by the difficult envrionment one bit. He was ready for the moment. That's what you want out of a veteran player, and his performance against the Bulldogs is a reminder of the level of player he is.
"I think both sides of the ball, he’s starting to kind of exert his will, his demeanor, his competitiveness, and it’s good to see," Oats said about Youngblood after the game.
Youngblood is coming on at the right time for Alabama and he raises the ceiling for this basketball team tremendously. He's a proven shooter and teamed with Mark Sears and Aden Holloway, gives the Tide three dangerous shooters from outside.
Those three guys combined to hit 13 threes against Mississippi State with Alabama shooting 48% from beyond the arc on the night.
Alabama was already one of the best teams in the country with Youngblood struggling. With him surging, the Crimson Tide just got more dangerous.