Alabama Crimson Tide
2020-2021 Overall Rank: #36
Conference Rank: #6 SEC
The 2019-2020 season went just about as expected for Alabama and first year head coach Nate Oats. The Crimson Tide finish 16-15 overall and 8-10 in SEC play. That was respectable, but now the expectations will be getting much higher. Losing leading scorer and point guard Kira Lewis will hurt, but the other four starters are returning and that could be enough for Alabama to sneak into the NCAA Tournament.
2019-20 Record: 16-15, 8-10
Coach: Nate Oats
Coach Record: 16-15 at Alabama, 112-58 overall
Key Departed Players:
Kira Lewis Jr, Guard, 18.5 ppg
James Bolden, Guard, 8.2 ppg
Javian Davis, Forward, 6.0 ppg
Galin Smith, Forward, 3.1 ppg
Jaylen Forbes, Guard, 2.7 ppg
Key Returning Players:
Jaden Shackelford, Sophomore, Guard, 15.0 ppg
John Petty Jr, Senior, Guard, 14.5 ppg
Alex Reese, Senior, Forward, 8.8 ppg
Herbert Jones, Senior, Forward/Guard, 7.9 ppg
Key New Players:
Keon Ambrose-Hylton, Freshman, Forward
Jordan Bruner, Senior, Forward, Grad Transfer from Yale
Keon Ellis, Junior, Guard, JC Transfer
Juwan Gary, RS Freshman, Forward
Darius Miles, Freshman, Forward
Joshua Primo, Freshman, Guard
Jaden Quinerly, Freshman, Guard
Jahvon Quinerly, Sophomore, Guard, Transfer from Villanova
James Rojas, Junior, Forward, JC Transfer
Alex Tchikou, Freshman, Forward
Kendall Wall, Senior, Forward, Grad Transfer from Francis Marion
Projection:
Jaden Shackelford and John Petty Jr. were huge reasons why the Tide ranked third in the nation in scoring offense with 82.0 points per game. Shackelford averaged 15.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while Petty added 14.5 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Petty was one of the most consistent and prolific outside shooters in the country last year, connecting on 44.0 percent of his 193 attempts from beyond the arc. This is a team that will take a ton of three-pointers and that continues into the frontcourt where Alex Reese hit 51 long balls. The 6-9 senior has not been the model of consistency, but he is capable of some big scoring outputs. Herbert Jones, a 6-7 wing, will not take a ton of three-pointers, but he will attack the basket effectively and do much of the dirty work on the defensive end of the floor. The rest of the rotation will have to come from the newcomers. If Coach Oats wants to play big he can dip into his talented crop of freshmen. Josh Primo, Alex Tchikou and Keon Ambrose-Hylton are all 4-star recruits who on their own would make a formidable frontcourt. Junior college All-American James Rojas will also make his Crimson Tide debut after missing last season with an injury. Speaking of juco All-Americans, guard Keon Ellis earned Second-Team accolades last season at Florida Southwestern State College. Those may not be the biggest impact transfers for Alabama this season though. Jahvon Quinerly sat out last season after transferring in from Villanova where he played limited minutes as a freshman. Jordan Bruner is a graduate transfer from Yale where he averaged 10.9 points and 9.2 rebounds last season. This is a group with a ton of talent. Much of it is unproven at this level and that could hinder the Tide for a little while, but sooner or later this could be one of the most dangerous teams in the SEC.
Projected Postseason Tournament: NCAA
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 82.0 (3rd in nation, 1st in conference)
Scoring Defense: 79.0 (333, 14)
Field-Goal Percentage: 43.7 (178, 8)
Field-Goal Defense: 42.5 (157, 10)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 10.8 (3, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 34.9 (94, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 69.3 (229, 11)
Rebound Margin: -0.4 (200, 11)
Assists Per Game: 14.2 (87, 3)
Turnovers Per Game: 14.9 (314, 14)
Madness 2021 NBA Draft Rankings:
#38 Josh Primo
Madness 2020 Men’s Basketball Recruit Rankings:
#91 Josh Primo
