Alabama entered a new tier of college basketball in the 2023-24 season as the Crimson Tide reached their first-ever Final Four, highlighting the program's rise to prominence under coach Nate Oats. With Oats locked in to a revamped contract that makes him one of the sport's highest-paid coaches, Alabama is poised to remain a force on the national scene for years to come.
Four of the nation's top 50 freshmen have enrolled as part of the nation's No. 2 recruiting class, but by no means will the 2024-25 Crimson Tide be a freshmen-oriented group. Oats' squad is so loaded with veteran talent that it may not even need substantive contributions from the diaper dandies.
The returning core is highlighted by star guard Mark Sears and versatile forward Grant Nelson, and the Crimson Tide may very well begin the season with a starting lineup consisting exclusively of fifth-year college players. That makes Alabama an easy preseason pick to win the SEC and make another deep NCAA Tournament run.
While starters Aaron Estrada and Rylan Griffen have departed from last year's squad, talented transfers Chris Youngblood (South Florida) and Houston Mallette (Pepperdine) have entered. A solid group of sophomores, including Auburn transfer Aden Holloway, are also in place to ensure the Crimson Tide's floor will remain high even the veterans on this year's team have departed.
As the 2024-25 season approaches, here's what Alabama's rotation could look like as the Crimson Tide seek to build off their Final Four breakthrough.
Projected starting lineup
1. Mark Sears
6-1 | 190 | Gr.
Sears will be a preseason All-American and likely the SEC Preseason Player of the Year after spurning the draft to return for his final season of eligibility. He averaged 24.2 points on 53.2% shooting during five NCAA Tournament games to put an impressive cap on a special season. He shot a career-best 43.6% from beyond the arc for the season while finishing second only to Tennessee's Dalton Knecht in scoring among SEC players.
2. Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
6-3 | 190 | Gr.
Wrightsell is primed for an even greater role after logging 23.6 minutes per game last season. He proved to be an excellent fit in the Crimson Tide's 3-point-oriented system as he knocked down a career-best 44.7% of his long-range attempts following three seasons at Cal State Fullerton. His role increased as the season progressed, and he logged double figures in 10 of Alabama's final 19 games.
3. Chris Youngblood
6-4 | 223 | Gr.
With weapons like Estrada and Griffen departed, the Crimson Tide needed some reinforcements on the perimeter. After earning co-AAC Player of the Year at South Florida last season, Youngblood fits the bill. He's a career 39.4% 3-point shooter on high volume — attempting at least five per game in all four of his college seasons — and will bring a steady veteran presence.
4. Grant Nelson
6-11 | 230 | Gr.
Nelson meandered through ups and downs as a highly touted transfer from North Dakota State last season. But he was at his best in the Crimson Tide's Sweet 16 win over North Carolina, scoring 24 points, grabbing 12 rebounds and blocking five shots in an 89-87 victory. The versatile forward can be a serious matchup problem when at his best and should be aided by the addition of Omoruyi to the frontcourt.
5. Cliff Omoruyi
6-11 | 250 | Gr.
Omoruyi will bring much-needed rim protection, allowing Oats the flexibility to play Nelson more at power forward. That's a welcome development since Nelson fouled out of six games last season and was in foul trouble on numerous other occasions. Omoruyi doesn't provide much offensive versatility, but he led the Big Ten in blocks at 2.9 last season and will also help on the glass.
Bench
Aden Holloway
6-1 | 180 | So.
Holloway is swapping sides within basketball's version of the Iron Bowl after an underwhelming freshman season at Auburn. The former five-star prospect made just 31.8% of his shots from the floor and averaged only 4.3 points over the Tigers' final eight games. But with three seasons of eligibility remaining, there is still time for Holloway to reach the potential which made him a McDonald's All-American.
Houston Mallette
6-5 | 200 | Sr.
Mallette shot 41.5% from beyond the arc as a junior at Pepperdine, which makes him a natural fit in Oats' system. He can also handle the ball a little bit and is yet another veteran who should be in line for regular minutes.
Mouhamed Dioubate
6-7 | 215 | So.
Dioubate is tracking for a larger role after averaging 7.8 minutes per contest as a freshman, which was 11th on the team. The high-energy combo forward is a change of pace player for the Crimson Tide who brings defensive tenacity. With forwards like Nick Pringle, Sam Walters and Mohamed Wague all gone, the path to playing time is less crowded.
Jarin Stevenson
6-11 | 215 | So.
Stevenson showed flashes of floor-spacing potential during his freshman season, hitting 31.7% of his 2.7 long-range attempts in 16.6 minutes per game. He needs to keep improving his physicality, but he may be the best perimeter shooter in the Crimson Tide frontcourt.
Derrion Reid
6-8 | 220 | Fr.
Reid is the most celebrated member of Alabama's No. 2 signing class after ranking as the No. 17 overall prospect in the Class of 2024. As 247Sports' Isaac Trotter noted this month, his best path to playing time could be through lockdown defense.
Depth
Aidan Sherrell | 6-10 | 240 | Fr.
Labaron Philon | 6-4 | 177 | Fr.
Naas Cunningham | 6-7 | 175 | Fr.
Sherrell, Philon and Cunningham were each top-50 prospects in the Class of 2024 and have the sheer talent needed to compete for roles. But the Crimson Tide are well-stocked with proven veterans and a handful of promising sophomores, which will make carving out steady roles a challenge.