Alabama Makes Final Five for Uncommitted Five-Star

With Alabama's exit from the NCAA tournament, the Crimson Tide turns its focus toward recruiting in the transfer portal. The Tide has already added a big post presence, landing seven-foot tall Noah Williamson from Bucknell.

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With Alabama on the recruiting trail, the Tide could add one more player to its 2025 recruiting class that already features three top-100 players in London Jemison, Davion Hannah, and Amari Allen.

According to Sam Kayser of 247 Sports, Alabama is one of five finalists for uncommitted five-star combo guard Brayden Burries.

The Tide is one of two SEC teams in Burries's top five, with the Tennessee Volunteers also named a finalist for the five-star prospect from California. Joining Alabama and Tennessee are Arizona, Oregon, and USC.

Burries, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound combo guard from San Bernadino, California, is ranked as the No. 11 overall prospect in the 2025 recruiting class, according to 247 Sports composite.

Burries has taken several official visits to big-time programs, including a visit to the Capstone on September 28 to watch the Alabama football team defeat the Georgia Bulldogs 41-34 in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

247 Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein wrote about Burries in his scouting report,

"Burries is a big-bodied scoring guard and three-level threat. A bit older for his grade, he turned 19 in September and is physically mature with an already powerful frame to complement his versatile attack.

He was a downhill playmaker at an early age, but has developed some real feel and craft as a creator. He lacks the dynamic first-step to rely on blowing right by his defender, and can almost have a slow-mo style with physicality and balance through contact. He can elongate his strides at the end of his drives, has a terrific left hand as both a driver and a finisher, good body control, and can rise-up to hammer big dunks on unsuspecting defenders, even if he worked his way to the rim more gradually.

Burries also has a very formidable mid-range game. He can dance with his handle to create space for his pull-up, and can also go to a step-back with range out beyond the arc. His shooting numbers from beyond the arc have been streaky this year – 30% in EYBL play (1.4-4.8/game) and 5-28 in three games at HoopHall West – but his release is projectable, even if not totally pure. He has more of a set-shot, with limited elevation, but soft touch. He’s proven he can come off screens and make them on the move, and is always around the rim (i.e. he very rarely has bad misses). He’s also a high percentage free-throw shooter (83% in the EYBL), who utilizes his versatility and physicality to get there in high-volume.

While he is focused primarily on scoring, Burries possesses soft hands, solid floor vision, and a reliable enough handle to have some on/off ball versatility. He is also an excellent rebounding guard. Defensively, he is fully engaged, physical, and competitive, if not ultra-quick.

Overall, Burries is a strong and physical scoring guard, who can get his buckets in a variety of ways, but also not one dimensional because of his ability to take reps at the point guard spot, his contributions on the defensive end, the glass, and with the competitiveness of his overall approach."

The addition of Burries would give the Crimson Tide the No. 4 overall recruiting class, according to the 247 Sports class calculator. 

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.