After officially starting practices for the 2024-25 season on Monday, Alabama basketball and coach Nate Oats held the team’s first open practice of the season on Thursday at Coleman Coliseum.
The media viewing period lasted about 30 minutes, capturing the final bits of the Crimson Tide practice. At the end of practice, Oats told the team in the huddle it was the “best” practice its had thus far, telling the media afterwards that Thursday marked the first time the team had gone back-to-back days practicing going for two-plus hours.
Here are some of the things we learned, noted and saw during the Alabama basketball practice viewing period.
Alabama basketball first open practice ahead of 2024-25 season
When the viewing period began, the team was participating in a 5-on-5 full court scrimmage, one team wearing white (home) and the other in red (away). The five on the court for the white team: Grant Nelson, Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Clifford Omoruyi, Aden Holloway and Jarin Stevenson. For the red team, it was Mark Sears, Labaron Philon, Mouhamed Dioubate, Aiden Sherrell and Houston Mallette.
Nate Oats and Brian Adams were in the huddle with the red team, while Ryan Pannone was with the white team. At the end of the 5-on-5 drill, the white team won 81-79, thanks to a Grant Nelson buzzer beater.
At the end of the 5-on-5 drill, the red and white team split to either sides of the court. Sears and Sherrell rode the bike while the rest of the red team ran full court sprints. Each team was working on free throws as well to close out practice.
Some transfers had some big plays during the drill, including Omoruyi with a few nice dunks. Dioubate also drained a nice 3 for the red squad.
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At practice, three players were not participating: South Florida transfer Chris Youngblood, freshman Derrion Reed and freshman Naas Cunningham.
Youngblood had a boot on his right leg, using a scooter to get around the court. Following practice, Oats said Youngblood suffered an ankle injury and had surgery but is expected to be “100%” by the time conference play begins on Jan. 4 vs. Oklahoma but that they will continue to evaluate his condition.
Reed, who was in a hoodie at practice and working on free throws on handed, is out with a hand injury. Oats said he is week-to-week, expecting him to be back by the Wake Forest exhibition game in Birmingham on Oct. 18.
Oats said Cunningham is out with a groin injury and is more day-by-day. He is expected to be back by the end of the week.
“They are on all their own time table,” Oats said. “We will get them back and healthy before we throw them back out there.”
Anna Snyder covers high school sports and University of Alabama softball and football recruiting for The Tuscaloosa News. Reach her at asnyder@gannett.com. Follow her on X @annaesnyder2.
