Wednesday began the NCAA’s spring signing period. After adding four-star forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton during the early signing period in November, Alabama basketball wasted no time making the rest of its 2020 class official, announcing four new signees on the day.
The new additions offer a mix of veteran and young talent as the Crimson Tide brought in Yale graduate transfer Jordan Bruner and JUCO transfer Keon Ellis as well as freshmen Josh Primo and Darius Miles. Here’s a full look at Alabama’s 2020 class.
Keon Ambrose-Hylton | 6-foot-8, 200 pounds | forward | freshman
Highlights
— No. 102 player overall, No. 21 power forward
— Averaged 4.2 points and 1.7 rebounds over six games for Team Canada during the FIBA U19 World Cup
— Averaged 20.2 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 2.8 steals per game in Peach Jam Invitational
Quote from Nate Oats: "Keon is a long, athletic skilled wing player that is capable of playing multiple positions on the floor," Oats said. "He's a gym rat that has significantly improved his skill level in the last couple years and we anticipate that to continue. He's a terrific young man with high character that's going to add a lot to our culture we're building here. We've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him and his mother Michelle through the recruiting process. We are ecstatic that he is joining our family and can't wait to get him here as a part of the University of Alabama men's basketball program."
Josh Primo | 6-foot-6, 180 pounds | guard | freshman
Highlights
— Four-star prospect
— Reclassified from a 2021 recruit to the class of 2020 after completing his prep requirements early from Royal Crown International
— Was the youngest player on Team Canada for the 2019 FIBA U-19 World Cup where he averaged 11.2 minutes and 4.2 points per game across his six games
Quote from Nate Oats: "Josh gives us that other ball-handler in the backcourt to play alongside our other guards. His size at the guard position allows us to play multiple guards on the floor together as we like to do. He's a big-time gym rat that's shown great improvement even here recently. His play in February showed he's ready to immediately contribute heavily for us as we compete for an SEC title. We love Josh's overall versatility, play-making ability, shooting and his experience playing on Canadian national teams. He's a proven competitor on both ends of the floor on an international level of play."
Darius Miles | 6-foot-7, 185 pounds | small forward | freshman
Highlights
— No. 113 player overall, No. 26 small forward
— Averaged 12.1 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on IMG’s postgraduate team
— Averaged 13.6 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for St. Charles High School in Washington, D.C., during the 2018-19 season
Quote from Nate Oats: "Darius has tremendous upside as a big wing that can play multiple positions. He's exceptionally skilled for his size on the perimeter. One of the best aspects of his game as I watched him was his passing ability from his position. His outlet passes and ability to handle the ball in the break will enable us to play even faster than what we had before. He has all the tools to be a great defender and rebounder as well. Playing his last year as a postgrad has given him a head start on what will be required of a freshman at a high major D-I level. We think once he's fully into our program he can contribute to our overall culture of winning up-tempo basketball and play multiple positions for us.”
Keon Ellis | 6-foot-6, 170 pounds | guard | junior
Highlights
— Four-star prospect
— Named a Second Team NJCAA All-American, averaging 18.7 points, 2.1 steals and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 54 percent from the field and 40 percent from beyond the arc for Florida SouthWestern State College.
— His 562 points and 64 steals during his sophomore season are the most in a single season in school history
Quote from Nate Oats: "Keon is dynamic scorer that's proven he can score at a high-level while being efficient as well on offense. He plays the defensive side of the ball as well, being a long perimeter defender with quick instincts. While his offensive production has us really excited, we're equally excited for his defensive contributions he will provide as well. He's a proven winner having played on the top-ranked junior college team in the country this season. He led them in scoring while shooting over 40 percent from three-point range. He's exactly what we're looking for in a scoring guard in both our offensive and defensive systems."
Jordan Bruner | 6-foot-9, 205 pounds | forward | graduate
Highlights
— Named First Team All-Ivy League in 2020 after averaging 10.9 points per game and leading the conference with 9.2 rebounds per game. He also ranked third in blocks (1.7 bpg) and fourth in assists (3.8 apg).
— Became the first Yale player to ever post a triple-double when he had 14 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists in a victory at Cornell this past season.
— 2020 Academic All-Ivy
Quote from Nate Oats: "We felt like Jordan was the best grad transfer available this season based on what we needed. He provides us a big that impacts the game tremendously on both sides of the ball. Offensively, he's a big that is capable of being a playmaker on the perimeter while also providing a presence inside. His basketball IQ and overall skill level are exactly what we needed to put us in a position to contend on a nationally-relevant level. Defensively, he can provide rim protection, move well enough to switch and guard perimeter players, rebound the ball and then push the ball in the break to help our transition game. He's played in multiple NCAA tournaments and pushed Yale to unprecedented heights in his time there. We're looking for him to do the same in his year with us."
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