Around this time last year, Alabama basketball was basking in the glow of its recently assembled super team.
The Crimson Tide saw Mark Sears, Grant Nelson and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. return as starters from its Final Four run the previous season. Meanwhile, it added several projected high-impact transfers in center Clifford Omoruyi, as well as guards Chris Youngblood, Aden Holloway and Houston Mallette. That was on top of a stellar signing class that included McDonald’s All-Americans Derrion Reid and Aiden Sherrell, as well as a pair of fellow Rivals100 members in Labaron Philon and Naas Cunningham.
Considering its preseason No. 2 ranking, the 2024-25 Alabama team slightly underperformed. A plague of injuries and inconsistent performances saw the Tide finish third in the SEC standings before concluding its season with a 28-9 record and a trip to the Elite Eight.
Not bad, but no hardware to show for its most talented roster in program history.
This year’s offseason overhaul hasn’t received the same hype as the previous one, but Nate Oats and company should have the Tide in position for another deep tournament run.
While Alabama loses four starters from last year’s team, the last-minute retention of Philon gives the Tide a possible lottery pick in next year’s NBA Draft. Wrightsell and Mallette both received medical redshirts and will offer much-needed veteran leadership and familiarity. Key returners Aiden Sherrell and Holloway are also expected to step up in their second seasons in the program.
Alabama’s additions weren’t as flashy as last summer, but the Tide was able to bring in a solid quartet through the transfer portal. Forward Taylor Bol Bowen (Florida State) and guard Jalil Bethea (Miami) enter as projected starters, while forward Keitenn Bristow (Tarleton State) and center Noah Williamson (Bucknell) figure to be part of the rotation. Alabama also signed a trio of Rivals100 freshmen in Amari Allen, Davion Hannah and London Jemmison, who should fill out the roster while developing for the future.
So, where does that leave Alabama heading into the coming season? Here’s a breakdown of how the current Tide team compares to its previous unit.
PG
2024/25 starter — Mark Sears
2024/25 stats: 18.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 5.1 apg, 40.3% FG, 34.5% 3-pt
Projected 2025/26 starter — Labaron Philon
2024/25 stats: 10.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.8 apg, 45.2% FG, 31.5% 3-pt
Down year or not, last season’s version of Sears was still Alabama’s most dependable player. Philon offers more on the defensive side of the ball and will continue to do so in his second year in the program. The sophomore could also improve on his 3-point shot, which should see him provide even more value to the team. Still, he’s not going to be the knock-down shooter Sears was over the past three years.
While Philon has more NBA potential, Sears is a bigger star at the college level. Alabama will still be in good shape at the point guard position, but it’s unlikely Philon matches Sears’ production.
The pick: 2024/25 Mark Sears
SG
2024/5 starter — Chris Youngblood
2024/25 stats: 10.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 0.9 apg, 44.7% FG, 38.8% 3-pt
Projected 2025/26 starter — Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
2024 stats: 11.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.0 apg, 50.0% FG, 42.2% 3-pt
Alabama has multiple options at the guard position, so there’s no guarantee Wrightsell will be the starter — especially early in the year, as he eases back from an Achilles injury he suffered last November. That being said, if the graduate guard is able to bounce back to his pre-injury form, he should be a part of the Tide’s best five on the floor.
Wrightsell was injured before Youngblood recovered from a preseason ankle injury last season. It would have been interesting to see what Alabama’s starting five would have looked like had both been available at the same time.
Both players are plus defenders with elite 3-point shooting ability. When healthy, Wrightsell might offer a bit more, but there’s no guarantee he’ll reach his previous levels this season.
The pick: 2024/25 Chris Youngblood
SG
2024/5 starter — Labaron Philon
2024/25 stats: 10.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.8 apg, 45.2% FG, 31.5% 3-pt
Projected 2025/26 starter — Jalil Bethea
2024/25 stats: 7.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.2 apg, 36.8% FG, 32.6% 3-pt
It’s hard to draw too much from Bethea’s freshman season. The former five-star recruit signed with Miami as the No. 7 overall player in last year’s class but failed to live up to his hype as he dealt with a coaching change midway through the season. Listed at 6-foot-5, 190 pounds, Bethea offers the length Oats is looking for at the guard position. When it comes to his production, Alabama will hope he follows in the footsteps of Holloway, who struggled during his freshman year at Auburn before breaking out with the Tide last season.
As good as Philon was last season, he was still just a freshman. Along with added maturity, Bethea should offer more offensive production than Philon did last season once he finds his footing in Oats’ setup.
The pick: 2025/26 Jalil Bethea
PF
2024/5 starter — Grant Nelson
2024/25 stats: 11.5 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.6 apg, 52.2% FG, 25.3% 3-pt
Projected 2025/26 starter — Taylor Bol Bowen
2024/25 stats: 8.0 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 0.8 apg, 47.7% FG, 41.4% 3-pt
While Nelson never missed a game last season, nagging injuries prevented him from taking the step some projected he would in his final campaign. Still, he led the team in rebounds and blocks while finishing as the Tide’s second-leading scorer.
While that might seem hard for Bol Bowen to match, the Florida State transfer is perfectly suited for Oats’ scheme and appears poised for a breakout junior year.
It seems unrealistic to expect Bol Bowen to match his 41.4% shooting from deep last season, especially after he shot just 21.2% from beyond the arc as a freshman. Still, if the 6-foot-10 forward can split the middle and shoot in the low 30% range from deep, he’ll provide a much bigger threat than Nelson did last season.
Bol Bowen doesn’t quite have Nelson’s muscle down low, but his athleticism and length make him a solid rim protector. If he’s able to remain healthy, he could provide a step up from last season’s banged-up version of Nelson.
The pick: 2025/26 Taylor Bol Bowen
C
2024/5 starter — Clifford Omoruyi
2024/25 stats: 7.9 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 0.9 apg, 73.4% FG, 0.0% 3-pt
Projected 2025/26 starter — Aiden Sherell
2024/25 stats: 3.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 0.4 apg, 51.1% FG, 33.3% 3-pt
Omoruyi didn’t quite live up to the hype after joining Alabama as one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal last summer. Still, the former Rutgers big man provided nice rim protection while serving as a lob threat on the offensive side of the ball.
Sherrell has the potential to improve on Omoruyi’s numbers from last year. Over his final eight appearances last season, the five-star talent averaged 5.3 points and 3.6 rebounds over 11.9 minutes per game. Sherrell will certainly present an upgrade from Omoruyi’s non-existent presence from deep. Sherrell shot 14 of 42 (33.3%) from beyond the arc last year, including a combined 4 of 6 during the Tide’s final two games against BYU and Duke.
Until Sherrell shows the ability to produce consistently over increased minutes, it’s difficult to project him as an upgrade. However, a breakout season would not come as a surprise.
The pick: 2024/25 Clifford Omoruyi
BENCH
2024/25 — Aden Holloway, Mo Dioubate, Jarin Stevenson, Derrion Reid, Aiden Sherrell, Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (injured), Houston Mallette (injured), Naas Cunningham (redshirt)
2025/26 — Aden Holloway, Houston Mallette, Keitenn Bristow, Noah Williamson, Amari Allen, Davion Hannah, London Jemmison
Mo Dioubate will be missed. The hard-working forward was the embodiment of Oats’ blue-collar approach and had the ability to change games with his physical spark off the bench. Now, he’ll be stepping into a bigger role at Kentucky after transferring away from Alabama this offseason.
The transfers of Jarin Stevenson (North Carolina) and Derrion Reid (Oklahoma) will also sting. However, not as much as Dioubate’s departure. While Stevenson provided nice length and defensive abilities at the power forward position, he would often go missing on the offensive side of the ball. Meanwhile, Reid never lived up to his five-star potential while battling injuries for most of the year.
Considering how injured Alabama’s bench was last year, this year’s group of reserves should provide a boost in production.
Holloway could step in as a starter, but if he continues his role as the Tide’s sixth man, he’ll present a deadly 3-point stroke off the bench. Mallette also offers elite shooting deep and should serve as one of the Tide’s best defenders now that he is recovered from multiple knee injuries.
Bristow and Williamson both joined the Tide after excelling in smaller leagues. Bristow was named WAC Freshman of the Year last season, after 11.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-8 wing is a bit smaller than Stevenson but shot 32.8% from deep and should provide similar matchup problems beyond the perimeter.
Williamson earned Patriot League Player of the Year Honors, averaging 17.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game. While he’ll have to adjust to the SEC level, he’ll serve as an experienced big off the bench to spell Sherrell.
The pick: 2025/26 bench
