Nike Sibande Considering Crimson Tide

Nike Sibande entered the NCAA transfer portal last Wednesday, today he told 247Sports his top-five destinations. Sibande named Alabama, Arkansas, Georgetown, Georgia and Xavier as his top five choices. Sibande is a 6-foot-4 shooting guard out of Miami-Ohio.

Sibande has averaged 30.6 minutes, 15.1 points, and 5.1 rebounds per game in 97 games for the Miami-Ohio Redhawks. He scored a season-high 31 points in the final game of the 2019-20 season against Buffalo in the MAC Conference Tournament.

Sibande has been contacted by several schools in the last six days since he entered his name into the transfer portal, with 247Sports reporting Kentucky, Michigan, Pittsburgh, Alabama, Creighton and others approaching him for his services.

The rising senior would have to sit out the upcoming 2020-21 season due to NCAA transfer rules and told 247Sports that his goal is to take the upcoming season and work on his jump shot to become even more efficient on the offensive end.

It would be difficult for the Crimson Tide to make room for Sibande given that Nate Oats only has two scholarships available for the 2020-21 season and is hoping Herb Jones and John Petty Jr. fill them. Should Sibande choose Alabama, Nate Oats would need to free up a scholarship by way of transfer out.

Oats told reporters after signing day that he and his staff were close to being done recruiting for the current cycle but in the last two days have been linked to two transfer portal players, Sibande and Syracuse guard Jalen Carey.

It's safe to say the 2020-21 Alabama basketball team will look a lot closer to the team coach Oats is working to build in Tuscaloosa.