A Look Ahead at Crimson Tide Hoops

With Tide Tipoff coming up in a couple of weeks on October 22, it's safe to say the hype is reaching a fever pitch for Nate Oats's 2021-22 squad. Never before in recent memory has there been so much excitement for an Alabama basketball season. Coming off of the school's first Sweet Sixteen since 2004, many of us have gone from Nate Oats believers to Nate Oats worshippers.

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Oats spoke at a press conference recently and had plenty to say about the new squad and the upcoming season. He expressed a lot of excitement for freshmen JD Davidson, Charles Bediako, and Jusaun Holt, all of whom he expects to contribute this season. Oats said Davidson has "been better than what I thought in a lot of areas."

The Collin Sexton comparisons for Davidson certainly make sense with their similar ranking and playing styles, but those are certainly lofty expectations of a young player. If all goes right, we will only have him for a season, so we all better enjoy this special talent while we have him.

Speed kills in a Nate Oats system, and all signs point to Davidson instantly being among the fastest players in the country. Having basically two 7-foot-tall options under the basket for the first time in forever cannot be understated either, as it will give the Tide an actual height advantage on many teams.

Nimari Burnett will be sorely missed this year, as he is out for the season with a torn ACL, but James Rojas can be expected to be back before SEC play. With Jaden Shackleford, Jahvon Quinnerly, Keon Ellis, and more returning, the Crimson Tide should be touting one of the best rotations in the NCAA.

With Kentucky attempting to return to form, and the rest of the SEC continuing to get better as a basketball league, the need to reload better than ever is important.

With a fantastic recruiting class and more confidence than ever, you wouldn't be crazy to think the Tide will be the best in the SEC again. With only a few weeks until the squad goes back out on the court, I can certainly say it feels freaking fantastic to be an Alabama basketball fan right now.