Tag: Nate Oats

Alabama basketball lands Top-100 recruit in the 2025 class

Four-star SF Amari Allen becomes first commit in Alabama basketball’s 2025 recruiting class.

Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide have picked up the first piece to their puzzle on the recruiting trail for the 2025 class as they landed a commitment from four-star SF Amari Allen, a top 100 player in the cycle.

Allen is a Green Bay, Wisconsin native and chose the Tide over the likes of Minnesota, Mississippi State, Nevada, UCF and the Wisconsin Badgers. On3 ranks Allen as the No. 78 player overall in the class and the No. 17 ranked SF.

At 6-foot-7, Allen is very versatile on offense and can play anywhere from the 3 to the 5, but will be an even bigger asset on the defensive end. Allen has only had one official visit with the University of Alabama, but it appears as if his time on campus made a lasting impact saying,

“I chose Alabama because of the strong basketball culture and the opportunity to grow under Coach Oats. I’m excited to be a part of a program that is on the rise and to contribute to its future success.”

For the Crimson Tide, they finished No. 3 in the 2024 recruiting class led by Aiden Sherrell and Derrion Reid. Landing Allen so early in the cycle has to feel like a huge get for Oats staff and will is hopefully the first of many dominos to fall.

The start of Alabama’s 2024-25 campaign is just over a month away as they open the season with UNC Asheville on November 4.

https://twitter.com/tiptonedits/status/1833535902968414600?s=46

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Alabama basketball releases their 2024-25 SEC schedule

Alabama basketball set to open SEC play on Jan. 4 against the Oklahoma Sooners.

Going into the 2024 season, the expectations for the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball program have never been higher. The Tide are coming off of their first-ever Final Four appearance and return a ton of production from last year’s team.

The Crimson Tide are widely projected as the No. 1 team in the country going into the upcoming season due to the absurd amount of talent on the roster, despite the fact the UConn Huskies have won back-to-back national titles.

This upcoming season will be Nate Oats’s sixth year in Tuscaloosa, and through the first five, he has already been able to claim 2 SEC regular titles, 2 SEC Tournament titles and was named as the 2021 SEC Coach of the Year. With all of his success, Oats is widely regarded as a top-five coach in the sport and received a nice extension this off-season.

Under Oats, Alabama has tried to prioritize playing the toughest out-of-schedule possible to help prepare for March and the NCAA Tournament. But, with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma, the SEC is going to be arguably the toughest league in the country.

Alabama basketball has officially unveiled their conference schedule for the 2024-25 season and will start play against the Sooners on Jan. 4.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Nate Oats adds Detroit Pistons assistant Brian Adams to coaching staff

Nate Oats completes his coaching staff with an interesting hire from the NBA

Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball program has completed its coaching staff for the 2024-25 season by hiring Detroit Pistons assistant Brian Adams. The veteran coach will replace Austin Claunch who left the Crimson Tide this offseason to become the head coach at UTSA.

Adams has spent time as a coach in college, the NBA, and overseas and joined the Pistons halfway through last season. Adams most notably worked as an assistant for Doc Rivers with the Philadelphia 76ers 2020-23.

Adams will join Preston Murphy and Ryan Pannone on Oats’ staff in Tuscaloosa. With the addition of Adams, Coach Oats now has two assistant coaches with NBA experience.

ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to report on the hire.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to provide updates on the Alabama men’s basketball team throughout the offseason.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on X (Twitter) @Blackwood89.

Former Alabama guard Aaron Estrada agrees to deal with Detroit Pistons

The talented combo guard lands a deal in the NBA!

The Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball program did not have any former players selected in the 2024 NBA draft, but on the day following the conclusion of the draft it was reported that [autotag]Aaron Estrada[/autotag] had agreed to an Exhibit-10 deal with the Detroit Pistons.

Estrada played just one season in Tuscaloosa after spending the two previous seasons at Hofstra. The combo guard was a central piece of the Crimson Tide’s second Elite Eight appearance and the program’s first Final Four.

As a Woodbury, New Jersey native, Estrada ranked third in the SEC in assists per game. He posted the fourth triple-double in Alabama history on Feb. 28 at Ole Miss, recording 18 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists in the win over the Rebels.

Estrada started in all 37 games for the Crimson Tide this past season and averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.6 assists per game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field.

John Chepkevich of Draft Express was the first to report the news of the deal between Estrada and the Pistons.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Estrada and the other former Alabama stars now in the NBA.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on X (Twitter) @Blackwood89.

Incoming Alabama freshman receives first-round projection in 2025 NBA mock draft

While it is still a year away, one Alabama basketball freshman is already earning first-round NBA draft grades.

Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats has revived the program with sustained success on the court, on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal. After reaching the Final Four of March Madness for the first time in Crimson Tide history, Oats may be on the verge of sending another set of players to the NBA.

In 2024, Alabama managed to retain most of its talented roster, which helped guide the team to a deep NCAA Tournament run. As a result, the NBA draft did not feature any Crimson Tide standouts. However, that could change next year.

In a recent way-too-early 2025 NBA mock draft, Adam Finkelstein and Travis Branham projects incoming Alabama freshman small forward Derrion Reid to be selected No. 29 overall to the Orlando Magic.

“Reid is a versatile forward with size, length, athleticism and versatility on both ends of the court. He is at his best as a slasher, defender and rebounder but has also shown promising flashes as a playmaker and has grown as a shooter entering college.”

Reid committed to Alabama in December of 2023, and is one of the highest-rated recruits landed by Oats. He ranked No. 9 in the ESPN 100, and ranked No. 16 in the nation, according to 247Sports, which also tabbed Reid as a five-star prospect.

After committing to Alabama, Reid credited Oats for being a large part in the decision.

“I love their play style and the coaches,” Reid told ESPN. “Coach Oats gets his players better. I believe I can make an immediate impact and get better in all aspects of my game so I can get to the league. Coach Oats is a great person to be around and learn from.”

While the 2025 NBA draft isn’t for another year, it’s important for fans to get familiar with potential stars on the upcoming Crimson Tide roster as the team looks to not only return to the Final Four, but build upon this success as the program seeks a national championship.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama basketball news as the 2024 offseason progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Former Alabama guard JD Davison wins NBA title with Boston Celtics

JD Davison is an NBA champion!

On Monday night the Boston Celtics took down the Dallas Mavericks to win the 2024 NBA Finals in five games, and now former Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball star [autotag]JD Davison[/autotag] is an NBA champion.

Davison was a second-round selection by the Celtics in the 2022 NBA draft and although his minutes in the NBA have been limited, he has made a name for himself playing for Boston’s G League team the Maine Celtics.

Davison averaged 21.5 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 8.5 assists per game while shooting 45.1 percent from the floor. Davison started all 28 of the games that he played. He could not play during Boston’s postseason run as a two-way player. Davison averaged 2.0 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in his limited action this season with Boston while shooting 41.7 percent from the field.

Alabama basketball head coach [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] was in attendance on Monday night in Boston to watch Davison and the Celtics hoist the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow JD and the other former Alabama stars now in the NBA.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on X (Twitter) @Blackwood89.

Alabama vs. UNC is the best matchup of SEC-ACC Challenge

In the 2024 SEC-ACC Challenge, Nate Oats and Alabama take on the UNC Tar Heels.

The matchups and dates for the 2024 SEC-ACC men’s basketball challenge have been revealed. The Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the North Carolina Tar Heels on Dec. 4 at Chapel Hill.

Andy Patton of the College Sports Wire recently ranked all of the matchups from the least interesting to the most. Tide vs. Tar Heels takes the top spot as the most interesting game with ease.

“A rematch of the Elite Eight, both North Carolina and Alabama bring back their star point guards – RJ Davis and Mark Sears – which adds even more excitement to this matchup. Can Hubert Davis and Carolina exact revenge at home in Chapel Hill? Or will Nate Oats and ‘Bama establish themselves as a true hoops powerhouse with a massive non-con victory?”

Alabama returns most of its top talent from last season, which guided the team to a Final Four appearance in March Madness, the first in program history.

North Carolina has been able to put up some quality fights against the Crimson Tide, but it is Nate Oats and Alabama that has been able to get the best of the Tar Heels recently. This regular-season matchup will serve as a must-see test for both programs that would hopefully have been able to find their identity and groove in the early parts of the season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama basketball news as the 2024 offseason progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Alabama basketball is projected to be the No. 1 team in the nation

With one of the strongest rosters in all of college basketball, Alabama is expected to be the top-ranked team.

Following a historic 2023-2024 college basketball season for Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide, experts now believe the program can improve in 2024-2025. A few projections for the preseason top-25 have Alabama sitting at the top as the No. 1 team in the nation.

News broke last night that star guard Mark Sears and rising sophomore forward Jarin Stevenson would be removing their names from the 2024 NBA draft pool and returning to Tuscaloosa.

Nate Oats and his coaching staff have hit the recruiting trail hard and have utilized the NCAA transfer portal to construct a roster that can go head-to-head with just about any elite team in the nation.

Though there’s not much room to improve upon after a season that culminated in the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance, preseason projections argue the Crimson Tide could be one of the most talented teams in all of college basketball.

College basketball analyst Andy Katz created a college basketball ranking for the upcoming 2024-2025 season and had Alabama as the No. 1 team.

Katz was not alone in this belief, as college basketball expert Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports also has Oats and the Crimson Tide as the top-ranked team.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama basketball news and college basketball rankings as the 2024 offseason progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Alabama F Jarin Stevenson withdraws from NBA draft and is set to return to Alabama

Jarin Stevenson announces to return to Alabama forego 2024 NBA draft

Wednesday was a massive day for [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide as both [autotag]Mark Sears[/autotag] and now officially [autotag]Jarin Stevenson[/autotag] withdrew from the NBA draft and will return to Tuscaloosa in 2024.

Many people were projecting the Tide to be a top-five team going into next season as things stood, but now, with two massive contributors coming back, the majority of people will view Alabama as the No. 1 team in the country.

Stevenson’s decision to enter the draft came as a bit of a surprise after starting just five games in 2023-24 and averaging 5.3 ppg and 2.7 rpg. The Chapel Hill native was a five-star and top-50 recruit coming out of high school so all of the potential is there, but I think another year in Oats system with real minutes will be the best thing for his development. He will eventually find himself playing in the NBA so I don’t think there was any reason to rush into it this cycle. However, that almost means with 100% certainty he will be gone next summer.

After having the No. 1 overall seed in the 2023 Tournament and obviously their legendary Final Four run in 2024, Alabama is no longer going to be sneaking up on anyone. The target is on the Tide’s back and a national title is the goal.

 

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Sam Murphy on Twitter @SamMurphy02.

Mark Sears announces return to Alabama basketball for 2024-2025 season

Alabama basketball received some massive news today as guard Mark Sears removed his name from the 2024 NBA draft and returns to the Crimson Tide.

Alabama Crimson Tide basketball fans can take a deep breath – star guard, [autotag]Mark Sears[/autotag], has removed his name from the upcoming 2024 NBA draft and announced his intention to return to Tuscaloosa to finish out his college career for [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Crimson Tide.

Sears waited until the final day to make his decision, as he had multiple workouts with numerous teams, including one earlier today.

After spending time with teams, coaches and scouts, Sears can play the 2024-2025 college basketball season knowing what he must improve upon to build his draft profile for next year’s NBA draft.

This is great news for Oats, the Alabama program and Crimson Tide fans, as Sears was a fan favorite, who produced impressive stat lines and served as a veteran team leader.

In the historic 2023-2024 season for Alabama, which culminated in the program’s first Final Four appearance, Sears averaged 21.5 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game and four assists per game.

His return has a strong effect on the projected pre-season ranking for Alabama in the 2024-2025 season.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Mark Sears and Alabama basketball news as the offseason progresses.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM.