As he promised, Alabama men’s basketball coach Nate Oats has taken his grease pencil to the ‘Bama roster and started redshirting a few players from the Tide’s very deep bench.
One player was expected: Naas Cunningham. In our preseason profile of Naas, we noted that despite being a very good shooter, he had struggled defensively in high school. His minutes were always going to be limited by that deficiency, as well as there being simply too many players in front of him.
The second player initially was surprising, since we love his game and effort. But, it makes sense with some further reflection: Pepperdine transfer combo-guard Houston Mallette.
We really like Mallette’s do-it-all versatility. But with Philon’s emergence as a possible one-and-done, Mark Sears firmly at the PG, and Trelly as the other starting guard — with Aden Holloway off the bench and apt to log significant minutes, he appears to be biding his time for significant PT next season, rather than being an underused depth chart casualty.
The pair will still be assisting this group in scout team scrimmaging, so Naas and Houston are still valued members of the squad — it’s just that their time has not quite yet arrived. Alabama’s potential title run this season, and Nate Oats developmental track record, will make the wait worth it.
Roll Tide
What do you think? Any surprises? Any one else you’d have redshirted in their place?
