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…
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