The Alabama basketball program picked up the 4th verbal commitment for the 2006 class Sunday when Mississippi combo guard Verice Cloyd committed to Mark Gottfried and his staff following his official visit to Tuscaloosa this weekend.

"I sat down with Coach (Mark) Gottfried this morning and told him I was coming to Alabama," Cloyd said. "He was really excited and told me they were really happy to have me on board. He also said for me to work hard and come in ready to play.

"I loved the visit. Everything went great.I got the chance to hang out with Richard Hendrix and Ron Steele and they are just great guys that I know I'll fit in well with on and off the court.

"Alabama is a team that I know is going to compete for championships. I like the structure and the atmosphere.

"Coach (Philip) Pearson is a funny guy and we get along really well. He's been straight-up with me and I know I can trust him."

Rivals.com national scout Jerry Meyer believes Cloyd's versatility will make him an impact player on the college level.

"Cloyd is a very solid all-around player," Meyer said. "You could play him at point if you needed to; he's a good defender and does a lot of things well. But scoring is what he does best. He's versatile because he can make the outside shot coming off screens and he can get to the basket and make the athletic score there. He has a great knack for finding ways to score.

"One he gets into Alabama's system and gets stronger he will be a good SEC player."

Cloyd, 6-foot-3, 185-pounds, chose the Tide over offers from Auburn, LSU and Mississippi State. Last season he averaged 24 points a game. He joins Avery Jukes, Mikhail Torrance and Justin Tubbs as Alabama commitments.