Crimson Red Sports

If you have been following the updates on the article “Nate Oats Shapes the Alabama Basketball Roster”, you know that there has been quite an overhaul of the roster.

According to our count, head coach Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide have parceled out 12 of the allowable 13 scholarships.

That number could change to 11 should Tevin Mack roll the dice on the long odds of being drafted or even grad-transferring. The assumption is that Oats wants Mack back but he may not wait around for him to decide.

The chances are slim that guard Diante Wood would return but it is not beyond the realms of possibility if every other Oats option falls through.

The University of Vermont men's basketball team has filled a big need for its frontcourt.

Literally.

Alabama's Daniel Giddens, a 6-foot-11, 247-pound forward, is transferring to the Catamounts. Giddens, a graduate transfer, has one year remaining and is eligible to play for UVM in the upcoming 2019-20 season.

Looks like Watford will be LSU.

According to what source, HL?

1) I can't see Memphis filling their roster and not keeping a spot open if they thought they had a shot.
2) LSU has gotten all (15 or so) of the "crystal ball" predictions on 247 since mid-April.  I haven't looked at the date to confirm, but I'm guessing that coincides with Will Wade's reinstatement as HC.  It's now 90+% LSU.  0% Alabama, btw.
3) There is very little in-state noise going on about his recruitment.
4) His Dad's recent interview talked about waiting on seeing how teams' rosters shook out (guys going pro) and how Trevon would fit on the roster and style of play.  He made a comment in passing about Alabama's roster being fairly set at this point after discussing the teams they were waiting to see how things shook out for.
5) Oats' style of play focuses on quickness and guard play.  I doubt you see us landing any 5-star PF/C position players during his tenure.

University of Alabama men’s basketball coach Nate Oats said in a Monday telephone interview that he was “flattered” by reports listing him as a possible candidate for the new job vacancy at the University of Michigan but indicated that the timing — less than two months after accepting the Alabama job — was not right.

“I firmly believe in God’s hand in guiding our lives,” Oats told TideSports. “If I was meant to be at Michigan, the job would have come open two months ago. So I believe there is a reason why I am at Alabama.

Oats also confirmed on Monday that he has signed his contract with Alabama. That contract calls for an $8 million buyout due to UA if Oats accepts another job prior to 2020.

I am so glad CNO is a believer and don't just jump around for the money or prestige. He may teach they young boys here to be men and have a good team also. RTR!

Do you really think he might take an offer after he has a new staff and getting his players like he wants them. RTR!

It's happened too many times before.  Not likely, but if he has a wife  :unsure: it's possible.

Oh boy, I didn't know about her having cancer. We will be praying for her. RTR!

Trendon Watford to announce next Mon.

https://www.tidesports.com/trendon-watford-sets-date-for-announcement/

Personally, I’m tired of this drama queen and his act.



 :dog:

Personally, I’m tired of this drama queen and his act.



 :dog:

Update from CNO press meeting at SEC meetings in Destin.  You get the feeling that this guy is not messing around.  He knows how he wants his team to play and what kind of guys are needed to do it.


https://www.al.com/alabamabasketball/2019/05/candid-nate-oats-explains-alabama-roster-changes-tevin-mack-situation.html

Others who looked entered the transfer portal made strong decisions, Oats said.

“Shoot, I helped someone like Daniel Giddens, a great kid,” Oats said. “I helped him. Some guys left on good terms and some didn’t. But that’s decisions they make as young men. Some of them were smart decisions. They’ll have better playing time elsewhere where ever they want. Diante Wood, I think will get a lot more playing time and Daniel Giddens will. Those two kept participating in workouts even after we discussed that it might be better for them to go elsewhere and they thought so to.”

Wood, a freshman last year, will resume his career at Jacksonville while Giddens is headed to Vermont.

Another big addition by CNO.

https://www.Quinerlyal.com/alabamabasketball/2019/06/former-five-star-recruit-transferring-to-alabama.html

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Alabama men's basketball team will play home-and-home conference games against Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri and Vanderbilt, as the Southeastern Conference announced each school's league opponents for the 2020 season on Wednesday.           

In addition to the home-and-home contests, the Crimson Tide will play home games against Arkansas, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M, with road games that include Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Ole Miss. Dates and times for the 2020 conference schedule will be announced at a later date.

The freshmen guards and wings looked as prepared for a challenge as the veterans. They were zipping through the drills with intensity and confidence.
Jaylen Forbes and Juwan Gary showcased some defensive prowess.
Jahvon Quinerly was easily the quickest player on the court. He is similar in quickness and smoothness to Kira Lewis. He may not have the 94-feet speed of Kira but few college basketball players do.
The biggest surprises were the physiques of Javian Davis-Fleming and Alex Reese. Both young men have re-shaped their bodies into leaner and more muscled builds. Oats commented on Fleming,

John Petty summed up the new Alabama Crimson Tide by saying, “the style of play is just totally different from last year.” Those are words Alabama basketball fans love to hear.

I'm still waiting to hear some comments about FT shooting practice. 

Buffalo was 245th out of 351 last year.  Don't hold your breath.

Of course, we were a putrid 314th.

Buffalo was 245th out of 351 last year.  Don't hold your breath.

Of course, we were a putrid 314th.

Stole this from HL at the Woolly. Good interview with Nate Oats.

https://youtu.be/k7eHa-bo5mU

The 2019-2020 schedule has not been finalized but this is what we know so far. It is shaping up to get a very challenging schedule.

In addition to the SEC games we will play the following teams:

Penn 
@ Rhode Island 
North Carolina  (Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in Bahamas)
Stephen F Austin 
@ Penn State 
Belmont  (Huntsville)
Richmond 

We will play three games in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. Our second game will be against either Michigan or Iowa St. All teams in the Tournament are big names so our third game will add another quality opponent. Besides Bama the tournament teams will be Gonzaga, North Carolina, Michigan, Iowa State, Oregon, Seton Hall and Southern Miss.

That is 9 games. We will play in the SEC - Big 12 Challenge as a 10th game but the opponent has not been named yet. We normally play about 12-13 non-SEC games not counting the post season.

The SEC schedule will be very difficult as top to bottom the league is getting better each year. Our schedule will be one of the most difficult in the NCAA.

With the gruop we are with in the Bahamas then we ought to come out I hope in at least 2nd place and we will be shining. I love CNO shoot, shoot, shoot. RTR!

What if we were to go undefeated in all those non-conf games?  Think that would turn some heads?

My odds:

Win 3 games: >5%
Win 2 games: 40%
Win 1 game: 90%
No wins: 10%

This is a very difficult field.

I think you got your < mixed up with the > sign.  Are you saying that we have a greater than 5% chance to win 3 games in that tourney? or less than 5% chance?

 :popcorn2:

The 2019-2020 schedule has not been finalized but this is what we know so far. It is shaping up to get a very challenging schedule.

In addition to the SEC games we will play the following teams:

Penn 
@ Rhode Island 
North Carolina  (Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in Bahamas)
Stephen F Austin 
@ Penn State 
Belmont  (Huntsville)
Richmond 

We will play three games in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament. Our second game will be against either Michigan or Iowa St. All teams in the Tournament are big names so our third game will add another quality opponent. Besides Bama the tournament teams will be Gonzaga, North Carolina, Michigan, Iowa State, Oregon, Seton Hall and Southern Miss.

That is 9 games. We will play in the SEC - Big 12 Challenge as a 10th game but the opponent has not been named yet. We normally play about 12-13 non-SEC games not counting the post season.

The SEC schedule will be very difficult as top to bottom the league is getting better each year. Our schedule will be one of the most difficult in the NCAA.

This Tide squad comes ready-made with an alpha initiator starter pack, as rising sophomore Kira Lewis looks to be one of the conference’s best players after impressing as a 17-year-old point guard. He hit a bit of a rookie wall down the stretch, but with an offseason to develop and playing for a “guard whisperer” in Oats, we expect a sizable leap this year.

Lewis will start alongside two of John Petty, James Bolden, a West Virginia grad transfer, and James Rojas, a highly-touted JUCO transfer from powerhouse Hutchinson CC. All are proven scorers, particularly when playing alongside a skilled creator. Petty is the poster child for “streaky shooter” in my college basketball dictionary, although I do have hope he’ll progress in a system more focused on taking *good* shots. Similar to Mississippi with Devontae Shuler and Breein Tyree, the Tide were much better last year when its returning guards shared the court together.

Bolden prefers to be a spot up threat and secondary creator, compared to last year where he was miscast as the Mountaineers’ primary PG. Rojas, meanwhile, looks primed to fill the Jeremy Harris role from Oats’s Buffalo days, right down to the JUCO background, as a skilled big wing who can dominate mismatches with his shooting and ball skills.

Oats will unleash all of these weapons in transition as frequently as possible; his last two Buffalo teams ranked second and ninth, respectively, in percentage of offensive possessions finished in transition. Guards are free to push the tempo even off of misses, exploiting teams that aren’t disciplined or organized enough to get back and cut off driving lanes. Again, Lewis and Bolden feel like ideal ball-handlers for this system, and with the athleticism of Petty and Herb Jones, they should have weapons running the wings.

Add Kansas State to our non conference schedule.

JUCO transfer James Rojas had knee surgery Thursday and will miss the year. This is a blow to the Bama roster. Rojas, a first team JUCO All-American last year, is a 6-8 power forward that was expected to carry much of the rebounding load. He was being compared to former Bama player Chris Hines.

https://247sports.com/college/alabama/Article/Alabama-Basketball-James-Rojas-expected-to-miss-2019-20-season-with-knee-injury-135246339/?fbclid=IwAR2A1i0cLATLcf48cFWt-JKYuw1h_arXChHeBy6ebgAYlnXp2PyUo7FUsoQ