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Alabama basketball roster 2023-24: Tracking changes in transfer … – Tuscaloosa News
Each offseason, change can be expected for just about every college basketball roster. It’s just a question of how much.
With the transfer portal and NBA Draft among the options for players, there will almost always be plenty of roster movement. Alabama basketball is no different.
As the Crimson Tide moves into Nate Oats‘ fifth season with the program, here’s a look at the roster changes. This story will be updated as the offseason progresses.
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The NBA Draft is scheduled for June 22 and the NCAA early entry withdrawal deadline is May 31. Players can enter their names in the draft and go through the process but withdraw and return to Alabama.
Brandon Miller, freshman forward: Miller is a projected lottery pick, so it’s no surprise he is headed to the NBA after one season of college basketball. He was the SEC player of the year and freshman of the year.
Charles Bediako, sophomore center: He served as the anchor of Alabama’s defense in his second season and was crucial in the team being No. 3 in the country in defensive efficiency, per KenPom. Alabama wouldn’t have gone on its run to the Sweet 16 without him. Many expected him to come back to Alabama, but he surprised folks and decided to stay in the NBA Draft.
Noah Clowney, freshman forward: ESPN ranks him as its No. 20 prospect overall. That might be tough for Clowney to pass up after one season. He did not indicate whether he intends to maintain his college eligibility.
Nimari Burnett, sophomore guard: Burnett was a starter for the first nine games of the 2022-23 season. Then an injury forced him to miss more than a month. Burnett returned as a reserve player who saw limited minutes. The former McDonald’s All-American and Texas Tech transfer had to miss the 2021-22 season with an ACL tear. Committed to Michigan.
Jaden Bradley, freshman point guard: Bradley spent a good portion of the season in the starting lineup, but he was replaced by Jahvon Quinerly in the postseason. Still, the McDonald’s All-American remained a regular in the rotation. Committed to Arizona.
Jahvon Quinerly, junior guard: Quinerly has one more season of eligibility remaining, even though he’s 24. He pursued the NBA Draft but decided to return to Alabama for one more season. Then three weeks later, he changed his plans and entered the transfer portal. Quinerly finished his 2022-23 season off strong, scoring in double figures in eight of his last nine games. Transferred to Memphis.
Aaron Estrada, senior guard: Estrada exits Hofstra to join the Crimson Tide. He averaged 20.2 points per game this past season over 31 starts. He also tallied 5.5 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The season before, Estrada started 32 games and finished with 18.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
Latrell Wrightsell Jr., junior guard: Wrightsell started 57 games for Cal State Fullerton over the past three seasons. In 2022-23, he averaged 16.3 points per game and 1.5 steals.
Grant Nelson, junior forward: Nelson stands at 6-foot-11 and weighs 235 pounds, but he brings a dynamic ability to the lineup. He tallied 19.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals per game this past season, all team-highs for North Dakota State.
Mohamed Wague, sophomore forward: Filling the No. 12 scholarship, Alabama added even more length and depth to its backcourt with this West Virginia transfer. The 6-foot-10, 225-pound forward averaged 4.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.5 blocks and 0.4 steals over 10.7 minutes per game in 2022-23.
Sam Walters, power forward: He’s a four-star prospect ranked No. 63 in the 2023 class per the 247Sports Composite. Walters, a 6-foot-8, 180-pound forward, joins the Crimson Tide from Villages Charter School in the Villages, Florida.
Mouhamed Dioubate, power forward: A four-star prospect, Dioubate was ranked No. 108 overall. From Putnam, Connecticut, he is 6-7, 215 pounds.
Kris Parker, shooting forward: A late addition, Parker is a 6-6, 170-pound, four-star prospect from Quincy, Florida. He’s ranked No. 92 overall in the class.
Davin Cosby Jr., guard: He’s technically not an incoming freshman as he joined the team this past semester. Cosby hasn’t played yet, though, so he’s essentially part of the incoming group. He’s a 6-5, 193-pound guard from Richmond, Virginia.
Jarin Stevenson, forward: Oats and company convinced Stevenson to pick the Crimson Tide over in-state UNC and Virginia. Stevenson also decided to reclassify to the 2023 class, allowing the 2024 prospect to join Alabama right away. He gives Alabama a five-star forward and increases front-court depth.
These are players who were on the roster in 2022-23 and have either said they are coming back or have not declared their intentions for the 2023-24 season as of publication.
Rylan Griffen, freshman shooting guard: He was important at times for the Crimson Tide, making some big plays and putting together some big games. However, he will need to be more consistent in his second season of college basketball.
Nick Pringle, junior forward: A top junior-college recruit a season ago, Pringle was an impact player when he was on the court. He often rotated in when Bediako went to the bench. Pringle had plenty of highlight dunks and had two double-doubles despite never starting.
Mark Sears, junior guard: Alabama landed the coveted Ohio transfer from Muscle Shoals a season ago, and he was crucial at times. Sears was second on the team with 12.8 points per game. He didn’t have as much of a scoring impact late in the season, but he was a glue guy for the Crimson Tide nonetheless. Sears took part in the draft process but decided to come back.
Nick Kelly covers Alabama football and men’s basketball for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter: @_NickKelly