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The Tuscaloosa News
Who are the newcomers for Alabama basketball? Portal pickups and star-studded freshmen
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- Who are the newcomers for Alabama basketball? Portal pickups and star-studded freshmen
Eight new players are set to make their regular season debut for Alabama basketball next Monday.
Coach Nate Oats reloaded the Crimson Tide 's roster accordingly after losing eight players from the program's historic Final Four run.
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The transfer portal took Davin Cosby ( Wake Forest ) , Rylan Griffen ( Kansas ), Kris Parker (Villanova), Nick Pringle ( South Carolina ), Kai Spears (Marshall), Mo Wague ( Oklahoma ) and Sam Walters ( Michigan ), while exhausted eligibility brought the exit of Aaron Estrada .
Alabama welcomes four freshmen, which made up the country's No. 2-ranked incoming recruiting class, and four sought-after transfer additions.
The University of Alabama unveiled the first banner honoring the school’s first Final Four appearance Friday, Oct. 11, 2024, in Coleman Coliseum. Alabama forward Derrion Reid (35) slides past Alabama forward Naasir Cunningham (24) on his way to the rim during the scrimmage.
Meet the newest members: Alabama basketball's Chris Youngblood playing for something more after children's hospital visit
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Ahead of the inaugural tipoff of the 2024-25 season against UNC-Asheville, meet the Crimson Tide's freshest faces below.
Meet eight new Alabama basketball roster members
Naas Cunningham
Position:Forward
The four-star freshman was once No. 1 in the 2024 class, and while struggles with consistency have seen his rank drop over the years, Cunningham's upside outweighs the cons. Occasional streakiness aside, he can drain shots from the arc. When he can't, he knows how to make nifty plays to score in the paint. More time in the weight room should see Cunningham's 6-foot-7 frame fill out, but expect more minutes for other rookies until then.
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Aden Holloway
Position:Guard
Holloway is probably a name you've heard before. Whether you kept up with the sophomore last season at Auburn , or learned of him after his team-leading 20-point performance in exhibition against Wake Forest, this prominent passer and shooter is going to be one to watch in the months ahead.
Houston Mallette
Position:Guard
Mallette is spending his last college season in Tuscaloosa after the past three years at Pepperdine. Last season, the 6-footer shot 41.5% from the field, making him a seamless fit for Oats' offense. Time spent in the gym should pay off, though. He's listed at 200 pounds on Alabama's roster compared to the 185 he weighed when he hit the portal.
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Clifford Omoruyi
Position:Center
Rutgers ultimately gave Alabama the rim protection it needed in the 6-11 elite defender flexing a 7-6 wingspan. Don't sleep on the former Scarlet Knight as an offensive threat, either. His dunks kept the crowd on its feet from Alabama's Final Four Banner Reveal Fan Fest to his return to action against an opponent in Wake Forest.
Labaron Philon
Position:Guard
Philon may be a freshman, but he's impressing Oats early and is expected to get significant minutes this season. The former Kansas commit made the starting five against Wake Forest and contributed 13 points, four rebounds and five assists in the victory. During his recruitment, Philon was ranked the No. 5 point guard in the 2024 class by On3 and rated a four-star by 247Sports.
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Derrion Reid
Position:Forward
The five-star came in to his freshman season lauded for his slamming skills around the rim, and he's already backed it up. Reid, billed at 6-8, brought down the house at Coleman Coliseum as the winner of the dunk contest, but also stepped up for the Crimson Tide against the Demon Deacons with 10 points, an assist and a team-high six rebounds.
Aiden Sherrell
Position:Forward
Sherrell, who has yet to appear in action for Alabama, is week-to-week with an injury, but he'll bring versatility to the rotation once he's 100%. Minutes at forward could be harder to come by with Omoruyi allowing Nelson to move out of the No. 5 spot and play as a forward this season. Still, Sherrell stands at 6-10, 200 pounds and was a four-star big man coming out of high school, so he could find a way to be an asset around the rim when opportunity knocks.
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Chris Youngblood
Position:Guard
Sidelined with an ankle injury, the highly touted South Florida transfer won't hit the floor for the Crimson Tide until closer to conference play, right when Alabama will need Youngblood's sharp-shooting skills most.
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball welcomes eight newcomers for 2024-25 season
