Five reasons to be excited about Alabama basketball's upcoming season

Nate Oats isn’t focused on a limited capacity crowd or the uncertain climate surrounding college basketball. At the moment, the Alabama head coach is excited about his team this year and is ready to see it in action.

After an extended offseason, he’ll finally have that chance Wednesday night as the Crimson Tide is set to host Jacksonville State at 7 p.m. CT inside Coleman Coliseum.

“This is what we practice for. So, we’re excited,” Oats said during a Zoom call with reporters Tuesday. “I thought we’ve had good practices. We told the guys after we finished today, ‘We got the full 30 in.’ A lot of programs around the country haven’t been able to get their full 30 practices in. We have. We’ve been fortunate in that regard.”

Following a debut season that saw his team finish 16-15 (8-10 in the SEC), Oats has reason for optimism this year as the Tide is thought to be a conference contender after undergoing a roster revamp this offseason.

Here are five things for Alabama fans to be excited about heading into Year 2 of the Nate Oats era.

Alabama brings in six new scholarship players this year. While freshman forward Alex Tchikou will miss the season with an Achilles injury, the other five additions should bring a balance of talent, experience and depth to the Tide’s roster.

Alabama added one of the nation’s top graduate transfers in Jordan Bruner as well as one of the top freshmen in this year’s class in Joshua Primo. The Tide also brought in an NJCAA All-American in JUCO wing Keon Ellis as well as a pair of four-star freshmen wings in Keon Ambrose-Hylton and Darius Miles.

Bruner should slot in as Alabama’s starting big man, while Primo arguably has the highest ceiling of anyone on the roster. Ellis adds a veteran scorer and defender, while Ambrose-Hylton and Miles should offer athleticism off the bench.

Alabama also returns two players who suffered season-ending knee injuries last fall. JUCO transfer James Rojas, a versatile big man with 3-point range, should be available for the opener against Jacksonville State. Meanwhile, Juwan Gary, an athletic wing capable of driving to the lane, is questionable for the opener but is close to a return.