Normal seems to be a moving target for everyone these days, and Alabama basketball is no exception.

Crimson Tide basketball coach Nate Oats usually spends a good portion of his offseason flying from one city to another in search of his next commitment.

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“Some of these guys are committing now without taking visits,” Oats said, referring to one way the covid-19 coronavirus has impacted the offseason. “I think that’s just going to become a reality because there are going to be guys that just want to take the spot, that know where they want to go. And they’re going to take it before somebody else takes it, and they’re going to have to commit without a visit.”

Oats said he’s not sure if all of Alabama’s targets would be willing to do that, but he did say he hopes to add a commitment before the end of the week.

Less than 12 hours later, Alabama target 2020 Joshua Primo sent out the following tweet.

Primo, a four-star shooting guard, has since indicated that he will decide between Alabama and Creighton by 11 a.m. CT on Friday.

Assuming Primo does choose to become the Crimson Tide’s second 2020 addition (four-star forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton already signed), all of Alabama’s currently available scholarships next season will be locked up although Oats expects that to change.

Starters Kira Lewis Jr. and John Petty Jr., have both indicated to Oats that they intend to put their names up for the NBA draft this summer. Unless the deadline changes, each guy will have until May 29 to decide whether they would like to return to Alabama or go forward with the professional route.

Just don’t expect Alabama’s head coach to wait until June to start his search.

“I think people at this level get in trouble when they assume guys are coming back, and then all the sudden they leave,” Oats said. “So we’re under the assumption they are both going to leave. We’re recruiting their replacements as we speak.”

The guys that ultimately replace Petty and Lewis, assuming it’s necessary to do so, could set off a chain reaction that leads to even more turnover for Alabama.

“They might realize that their playing time is going to go down,” Oats said, referring to current players on the roster. “We’ll have those conversations coming up, but I don’t know who they’ll be, some of them will be determined by our own players to be honest with you and how much they want to compete with some of the guys that we’re bringing in for spots.”

If Alabama players are unhappy with what they hear from Oats regarding playing time next season, the Crimson Tide coach said he’s happy to help them find a better landing spot. He knows many of them weren’t recruited to play his style of basketball when they signed on with Alabama.

Meanwhile, the transfer portal has remained active over the last two weeks, and interest from Alabama seems to be a common denominator for several guys interested in looking for greener pastures.

On Thursday, the Hartford Courant quoted Yale forward Jordan Bruner listing Alabama as one of the five schools that are recruiting the graduate transfer the hardest.

Bruner, finished third on the team in points scored last season with 305. The 6’9” senior averaged 10.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 32.3 percent beyond the arc during his final season at Yale. He’s also averaged at least 1.5 blocks per game during the last two seasons.

Bruner, might not be the only transfer contemplating an encore season in Tuscaloosa.

None of Justin Turner’s teammates came within 75 points of his 469-point total last season. The 6’4” guard averaged 18.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.52 assists per game while shooting 42.7 percent from the floor and 36.1 percent beyond the arc.

He’s not the only guard Alabama is looking at acquiring. Florida SouthWestern State guard Keon Ellis appears to be in the mix as well after landing an offer from the Crimson Tide earlier this year.

The junior college sophomore averaged 18.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game while shooting 53.6 percent from the floor and 40.1 percent from beyond the arc.

“I hated it when coaches put a ton of pressure,” Oats said, referring to his 11 years coaching high school basketball. “Like if you don’t take the offer by Friday, we’re pulling it. I don’t do that. I’ll never do that. … (That) scholarship may not be there for them based on what other kids do, but I’m not gonna put any pressure on kids that they’re not comfortable with, but we are working the phones hard.”

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