When Alabama landed Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi in the portal, a major selling point for the veteran forward was getting a chance to play in an NBA-style system. He saw Alabama coach Nate Oats and his staff giving him the best opportunity to do so.
Omoruyi’s outlook isn’t baseless. Oats has helped several former Alabama players become NBA Draft picks or find their way onto NBA or G League rosters. His fast-paced offense and analytical approach to both sides of the ball helped the Crimson Tide reach its first Final Four. But his system also gives players a glimpse into how a team gameplans and gets coached at the next level. As Alabama assistant coach Preston Murphy detailed Tuesday on the Crimson Crossover podcast, that makes the Crimson Tide an easy sell for potential new additions.
“I had opportunities to coach at different institutions across the country,” Murphy said. “For me as a coach, to be able to coach in this system under [Oats], to be able to teach with our guys, to be able to recruit under this — I think this is the best way to play basketball. It's the way the NBA is playing, and you're playing for a guy that really believes in the guys that he brings in. So you will see unbelievable amounts of freedom, and I think that gives these guys the confidence to excel.”
Murphy’s confidence in selling Oats’ system to potential high school recruits and college transfers can perhaps best explain why he was so confident the Tide would land Omoruyi. He posted various Clifford the Big Red Dog bat signals across social media, one of which featured Roll Tide Willie — who is now 2-for-2 on closing recruiting deals.
While the possibility of playing for a Final Four contender is certainly appealing on its own, Murphy deserves a lot of credit for helping Alabama assemble arguably its deepest and most talented roster ever. In addition to key returners Grant Nelson and Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Alabama has recruited top talent in the portal and has the No. 3 recruiting class heading into next season.
“I’m very genuine in the recruiting process; building relationships on strong foundations,” Murphy said. “I believe the reason I have some success in recruiting is because, being a basketball coach you have to be multi-faceted. So for me, coaching, teaching, developing — I believe those things that I do a good job of helping me in the recruiting side of the job.”
Murphy’s recruiting style and Oats system give Alabama a key edge when targeting players during an era where extraordinary amounts of NIL money are used to try and sway decisions. Alabama’s own NIL coffers certainly aren’t small but the coaching staff has identified both the right players for the Tide’s system and players who aspire to develop into potential pros.
“It’s been a little different and it has some unique challenges,” Murphy said of NIL. “I think we’ve done a good job of identifying guys who want to play basketball at the next level and guys that identify as basketball being the driver in their decision making. We were fortunate enough to recruit a collection of guys who feel that way and we’re very happy with the young men that we have coming in.”
As Alabama puts the finishing touches on its 2024-25 roster, the expectations after its first Final Four run will continue to grow. Omoruyi is the latest exciting addition to a team that could still get its best player from a year ago in Mark Sears. No matter what decision Sears ultimately makes, Murphy’s work on the recruiting trail and Alabama’s NBA pipeline has set up the Crimson Tide for another potentially magical run next season.
