Alabama Basketball Roster Update: Room For One More

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.

CANDIDATES

• Trendon Watford - Of course there is the 5-star Mountain Brook forward, but the vibe is that he lands elsewhere. LSU seems to be the favorite of crootin’ experts but Watford might be waiting to see what happens to the Tigers embattled liar cheater coach Will Wade. Option 2 is looking like the burgeoning cesspool that is Penny Hardaway’s Memphis. It feels like Oats & Company have moved on to others. The regular basketball signing period for high schoolers ends on May 15, so the clock is ticking.
• James Rojas - The junior college All-American is still a strong possibility to end up in T-town. The 6’8”/215 small forward signed with Buffalo during the early signing period but has been granted his release by the Bulls. He was first-team NJCAA All-American at Hutchinson CC this past season. Originally from Jamestown, NY, Rojas averaged 19.0 ppg connecting on 50.4% (176-349) of his field goals. He was 38.4% from beyond the arc and 79.5% at the charity stripe. He registered 6.8 rebounds per game and 2.2 assist per game. (Full stats) Rojas has two years of eligibility left.
• RJ Cole - As we reported on Monday, the reigning MEAC Player of the Year took an official visit to Tuscaloosa this past weekend. The Howard point guard has also declared for the NBA Draft but can pull out. Barring a waiver, the New Jersey native will have to sit a year and have two years of eligibility remaining. This would be a convenient option for the Tide with point guard grad-transfer James Bolden having only a single season to play at Bama.
• Jahvon Quinerly - Things have been pretty quiet from this Villanova transfer since he and his parents visited Alabama in April. The former 5-star McDonald’s All-American point guard has many potential suitors including Arkansas, Pitt, SMU, Wake Forest, Colorado, Florida State, Nebraska, Cincinnati, Baylor, Oregon. What level of interest those schools have is unknown, but there has been some contact. After sitting a year, Quinerly will have three years of eligibility remaining. [For the record, Quinerly is one of the recruits that Arizona was trying to “buy”.]

MORE DEPARTURES?

As mentioned above, it is possible that Mack opts to leave. Are there others?

• It is pure speculation at this point, but redshirt freshman Javian Davis-Fleming could get a nudge out the door.
• God bless Galin Smith. The guy really tries hard but I have my doubts whether he can keep up in the constant motion offense that Oats employs.