Alabama Basketball Snares Commit From Mississippi 4-Star

A year ago, Jaylen Forbes was barely a blip on the college basketball world. After strong spring and summer league showings, the Mississippi shooting guard found himself with a solid offer from Alabama.

Forbes is a real shooting threat and should give the Tide a lift from beyond the three-point arc. On the Nike EYBL circuit this spring, the 6-foot-4 wing averaged 19.8 points and 5.8 rebounds in 16 games. Rivals national basketball analyst Eric Bossi says “Forbes is one of the most natural scorers in the Southeast.” After scouting him at the Las Vegas Fab 48, Avery Johnson had seen enough.

It’s been a whirlwind romance for the Florence, Mississippi native after he took an unofficial visit to Tuscaloosa in June. He was offered a few days later which he accepted on Thursday.

247Sports and Rivals rank him 4-stars. He is the No. 100 overall player in 247’s Comp rankings.

Forbes had offers from UAB, Kansas State, Southern Miss and Murray State. Ole Miss, Miss State and Georgia Tech had shown high interest as well. He joins Juwan Gary in the Class of 2019.