Tag: JD Davison.

As an Alabama basketball fan, you may have some reservations about getting your hopes up. But, I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to be optimistic.

Head coach Nate Oats has the Tide rolling at the best rate I’ve seen in all my life. The key to success, however, is remaining successful.

The SEC is growing massively in the basketball realm. With recent hires like Bruce Pearl at Auburn, Eric Musselman at Arkansas and Tom Crean at Georgia, it’s clear that SEC athletic directors are gunning for success in more than just football.

The hiring of Nate Oats to lead the Crimson Tide on the basketball court was a message from AD Greg Byrne that this school is shooting for the stars with all major sports.

Consider this as a guide for Alabama basketball fans, new and old. We’re going to review last season’s resounding success and this season’s outlook.

What happened last year?

Nate Oats won SEC Coach of the Year honors after he led the Crimson Tide to its first SEC regular-season championship since 2002, and its first SEC Tournament Championship since 1992, the same year Gene Stallings helped lead his Alabama football team to a national championship over Miami.

They didn’t stop there, however. Oats led his squad to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 (remember Collin Sexton?). But, you don’t make it to March Madness just to earn a participation trophy. You’re there to win and advance. Alabama decided that they weren’t leaving after one round. The Tide pushed through all the way to the Sweet 16 where they would lose to eventual Final Four participant UCLA.

With success comes interest, and the interest is two-fold. Recruits don’t want to play for a team that they know would be a middle-of-the-pack type of team. Likewise, wins on the calendar equals butts in seats, and Alabama recently announced that it has sold nearly 7,000 season tickets, a school record. The atmosphere at Coleman Coliseum is bound to be electric this season, and an electric atmosphere equals momentum.

Let’s talk about this season

I recently published an article explaining what some reasonable expectations are this season. Rather than beating a dead horse, I’ll simply talk about important things to know about your Crimson Tide this season.

Familiar faces

With so many fresh faces without college game-film, familiarity is a sort of blessing. Jaden Shackelford led all Crimson Tide scorers last year, and you can expect an even more polished game from him this time around. Back in July, it was looking like Shackelford may be out of Tuscaloosa after putting his name in the transfer portal. Thankfully, Oats convinced him that Alabama is his sweet spot and he returned.

Jahvon Quinerly, without a doubt, is a very important piece of Alabama’s backcourt. He commands the court and makes all the right decisions. While he would occasionally slip up and overdribble or end up too deep in the lane, an offseason of correcting mistakes can be monumental for a guy like JQ.

New names to know

With the departures of play-makers such as swingman Herbert Jones and guards Joshua Primo and John Petty, you might wonder if it’s possible for the Tide to match, or even amplify, their success from last year.

While those three men accounted for 32 points and 13 rebounds per game, collectively, the new guys coming in are prepared to answer the call in a big way.

Incoming freshman Charles Bediako and redshirt-freshman Alex Tchikou, who missed last season due to a knee injury, will be competing for playing time this year in the frontcourt. You’re not likely to see both at the same time, although it’s possible. Furman transfer Noah Gurley is expected to start at forward, but he shot 34% from beyond the arc last year, so expect him to get the green light on open shots.

In the backcourt, the only new name you’ll see significantly is JD Davison, who came out of high school this year as a five-star guard. You’ll likely hear his name a ton, as well. This guy is freakishly athletic and is a large reason for the optimism in Tuscaloosa entering the season.

Preseason honors and watchlists

Jahvon Quinerly and Jaden Shackelford both made the preseason first-team All-SEC, per USA TODAY Sports Network. Alabama was the only school with two on the list.

According to the same list, Alabama is expected to finish either first or second in the SEC this year.

Closing thoughts

Alabama has a lot of momentum entering the season. The key is capitalizing on it. As long as this Crimson Tide team can stay healthy, the sky is the limit. Ranked in the preseason for the first time since the 1991-92 season, finishing at least where we start will be even better for recruiting and fan support.

Alabama will tip-off against Lousiana Tech at 8:00 p.m. CST on SEC Network.

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