2-seed Alabama men’s basketball fell to 1-seed Duke 85-65 in the Elite Eight on Saturday night. This loss ended the Crimson Tide’s season.
In other words, head coach Nate Oats and Alabama are now turning the page to the offseason as it begins preparations for the 2025-26 season.
BamaCentral is keeping track of the Crimson Tide’s outgoing and incoming players and coaches right here ahead of next season.
This article will constantly be updated when changes to the roster and staff occur.
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Mark Sears
Sears became the Crimson Tide’s first-ever consensus First Team All-American after yet another stellar season averaging team-highs of 18.6 points and 5.1 assists. Sears was also named a Preseason All-American by the Associated Press a few months ago, and now he’s exceeded those extremely high expectations. Division I’s active leading scorer is also a Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year finalist and Naismith Trophy semifinalist as he eyes an NBA future.
Chris Youngblood
The guard transferred out of South Florida after being named the American Athletic Conference’s Player of the Year. However, he suffered a foot injury over the summer, which forced him to make his Alabama debut against Creighton in the 10th game of the season. But the sharpshooter had several big-time performances with the Crimson Tide while averaging 10.3 points per game.
Grant Nelson
The forward played in all 37 games but dealt with injuries throughout the season. Like Sears, Nelson played a pivotal role throughout the Crimson Tide’s Final Four run and he stood out among Alabama once again. Nelson averaged 11.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks and Oats believes “he’s a skilled big that NBA teams want” but might have to sign a two-way contract for a shot.
Clifford Omoruyi
In an effort to increase its defensive presence in the paint––one of its main weaknesses last season––Alabama added Rutgers 6-foot-11 big man Clifford Omoruyi out of the transfer portal this past offseason. Omoruyi averaged 7.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.1 blocks with the Crimson Tide with NBA Draft hopes.
Labaron Philon
Philon has become a household name over the course of the season and his three SEC Freshman of the Week honors reflect that. He has been given expectations by analysts to be a one-and-done player and enter the 2025 NBA Draft, but Philon said after the Duke loss that he didn’t know if he’ll enter the draft or return and he’ll “talk to the coaches and program first.” He finished his freshman season averaging 10.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and a Crimson Tide-best 1.3 steals per game.
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Naas Cunningham
The freshman was one of Alabama’s two players to redshirt during the 2024-25 season. His height helps him shoot over defenders, but weight was a question mark as Oats believed there was a lack of aggressiveness before the season. That said, Oats pointed out before the season that “There’s days that he looks like he should be in the NBA but he just has to be a little more consistent.”
Mouhamed Dioubate
No one on Alabama won the Hard Hat more times this season than forward Mouhamed Dioubate. According to Oats, earlier in the season, the Crimson Tide’s top bench frontcourt member was the only player in Division I who had 110 rebounds in less than 310 minutes. In just 16 minutes per game, Dioubate averaged 7.2 points, 5.9 rebounds (1.9 offensive), 0.9 steals and 0.7 blocks.
Aden Holloway
The sophomore guard transferred from Iron Bowl rival Auburn this past offseason knowing the risks of leaving a premier program as a starter. He gained the Crimson Tide’s sixth-man role and was the main offensive contributor off the bench due to his three-point shooting. In 21 minutes per game, Holloway averaged 11.4 points on 41.2 percent from deep.
Houston Mallette
The graduate guard initially joined Cunningham as the other Alabama redshirt, but that changed once guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. ruptured his Achilles on Nov. 30. Mallette filled Wrightsell’s spot on the roster, but was back on the redshirt after six games due to lingering knee injuries.
Derrion Reid
The McDonald’s All-American dealt with a hamstring injury for a good chunk of the season as the freshman missed 13 total games. Reid aims for to utilize his renowned athleticism and defense a bit more ahead of his sophomore year as he averaged 6.0 points in 14 minutes per game this season.
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Jarin Stevenson
Stevenson was the most brought-up name when Oats and the Crimson Tide were asked before the season started who was the most improved player. While he had seven games of 10-plus points this season, he only averaged 5.4. Nevertheless, the sophomore was the age of a freshman this season as he re-classed prior to 2023-24, meaning he has plenty more time to develop.
Latrell Wrightsell Jr.
As previously stated, Wrightsell ruptured his Achilles early in the season and unofficially received a medical redshirt. The graduate guard started several games during the 2023-24 Final Four season and his elite shooting from deep played a pivotal role in the Crimson Tide’s historic success.
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Ryan Pannone
On March 29, Alabama basketball assistant Ryan Pannone was finalizing a deal to become the head coach at Arkansas State. Pannone will be replacing former Oats assistant Bryan Hodgson, who took the head coaching job at South Florida.
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Amari Allen
Amari Allen, a 6-foot-7, 180-pound elite wing talent in the 2025 class, announced on Nov. 13 that he officially signed with Alabama, becoming the first member of the class to do so. Allen is the No. 2 ranked player in the state of Wisconsin, and the 13th ranked small forward in the nation.
“Amari is an elite wing that has the ability to play multiple positions due to his size, IQ and high skill level,” Oats said in a press release. “Over the summer Amari proved to be an efficient scorer, shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from three-point range and 80 percent from the free-throw line and is a great fit for our style of play, in a modern era of college basketball.”
London Jemison
The 6-foot-8, 195-pounder out of St. Thomas More School in Oakdale, Conn. committed to the Crimson Tide on Sept. 22. At the time of his commitment, he was ranked as the consensus No. 38 prospect in the nation, the No. 9 power forward and the top-ranked player in the state of Connecticut, per On3 Recruiting.
“London is a combination of great size at 6’8″ and his IQ for the game is elite,” Oats said in the press release. “Throughout our time recruiting London, he possessed one of the best shot charts we have ever seen. His talent and size aside, he is known as a proven winner and fits the mold of how we are trying to play.”
Davion Hannah
Consensus 4-star shooting guard Davion Hannah from the Link Academy in Branson, Mo., announced his commitment to Alabama on Nov. 15. The 6-foot-5, 175-pounder transferred to Link Academy in June of ahead of his senior season of basketball.
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“Davion possesses elite athleticism that is showcased in the open court and has great size, giving him the chance to play a multitude of positions,” Oats said in the press release. “At 6’6″ with a 6’10” wingspan, he fits the mold of how we are trying to play just like the other guys we have brought in.”
The Philadelphia 76ers selected Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. with the 22nd overall pick of the 2026 NBA draft Tuesday night.
Philon is the first pick of the Mike Gansey era after he replaced Daryl Morey as the team’s president of basketball operations.
Who is Labaron Philon Jr.?
Philon, 20, led the Crimson Tide in scoring last season, averaging 22.0 points on nearly 40% shooting on 3-pointers. He was the focal point of one of the nation’s most potent offenses, as Alabama led the country in points per game in the 2025-26 season. The Crimson Tide (No. 16) finished the season with a 25-10 record and went 13-5 against conference opponents.
Philon, who helped lead Alabama to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tournament, earned Third-Team All-American and First-Team All-SEC honors in his sophomore season.
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In 33 games last season for Alabama, Philon scored 725 total points, which is ranked third-most by a player in a single season in program history.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with Labaron Philon Jr. after he is drafted twenty-second overall by the Philadelphia 76ers during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City.
Arturo Holmes / Getty Images
Philon was the 34th-ranked basketball recruit in the country entering his freshman season at Alabama, according to 247sports. The four-star guard initially committed to playing at Auburn, but decommitted. He then signed a letter of intent to play at Kansas, but didn’t play there, either. He then committed to the Crimson Tide in April 2024.
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Philon impressed as a freshman at Alabama and averaged 10.6 points in 37 games. He declared for the 2025 NBA draft but then withdrew and returned for his sophomore season, where he saw his scoring average jump more than 10 points.
Philon is a Mobile, Alabama, native and played at Baker High School in Mobile County, where he scored 2,334 points in three seasons. He was named the Class 7A Player of the Year twice.
As a junior, he averaged 35 points, 6.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists and was named Alabama Mr. Basketball, which is given to the best high school boys’ basketball player in the state. Philon transferred to Link Academy, a boarding school in Missouri, for his senior year of high school.
Philon now joins a backcourt headlined by Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe heading into the 2026-27 season. Quentin Grimes could return to Philadelphia next season and add even more depth, but he’s an unrestricted free agent.
The pick the Sixers used to pick Philon was acquired in the deal that sent Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder at the trade deadline.
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Labaron Philon Jr. scouting report
CBS Sports had Philon ranked as the 14th-best prospect in the 2026 NBA draft.
Here are his strengths and weaknesses, according to CBS Sports:
Strengths
On-ball creator who made an extreme leap as a sophomore, ranking in the 99th percentile in isolations (was 24th percentile as a freshman) and 94th as a pick-and-roll handler (was 32nd percentile as a freshman). Combines smooth attack with sudden change of speed and direction, dexterity, and finishing craft in the lane.
Shot-maker who can make tough shots off both the catch (36% on contested catch-and-shoot 3-pointers), dribble (38% from deep), and has extreme gravity when he’s spacing the floor (46% on unguarded catch-and-shoot 3-pointers).
Shown pliability to thrive in different roles over the years and is a similarly versatile creator, because he’s a scoring threat at multiple levels and also an accurate, and somewhat creative, passer with both hands off the dribble.
Weaknesses
Inconsistent defensive approach. Showed more engagement and potential as a freshman, but couldn’t maintain that as a sophomore when taking on a bigger offensive role.
Lacks overwhelming physicality or highest level explosiveness, and didn’t add any notable muscle mass between his freshman and sophomore seasons (175 pounds at 2025 combine and 176 at 2026 combine).
Unclear how well his creation scales to the NBA level when he will have less usage and volume coupled by more physicality in opposing defenders.
Alabama football hosted a hometown kid for an official visit last weekend when it got Jeremiah Beverley on campus for an official visit.
Beverley attends Hillcrest High School in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and ESPN currently has him rated as a four-star recruit. He is considering Alabama, Cincinnati, Wake Forest and others.
The Crimson Tide offered Beverley earlier this month and got him on campus for an official visit last weekend. The Alabama target told Touchdown Alabama he used the visit to learn what the Tide has planned for him if he commits.
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“I’m truly happy that I went on that official visit,” Beverley said. “Blessed for that. All I was talking about was the next step, what I got to do? So, just knowing what they have planned for me, knowing what they have set for me.”
At 6-foot-2 and 235 pounds, Beverley makes plays for Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa as a defensive end. Alabama has plans to use him similarly at the next level.
“They’re going to have me at wolf mostly,” Beverley said. “I know coach (Kane) Wommack and coach (Christian) Robinson, I think they see me at other positions, but I know it is guaranteed they’re going to see me at Wolf and me working my way up on special teams, and they expect that out of me.”
Beverley is expected to announce a commitment decision on Friday.
Watch Jeremiah Beverley’s Highlights Below:
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Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.
Alabama football is hiring Noah Fisher to be its assistant tight ends coach, according to CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
Fisher spent two seasons as a graduate assistant working with the offensive line and tight ends at Louisville before joining the Tide’s staff. He played three years on the offensive line at South Alabama and spent one season with Tulane. The Jaguars started Fisher along its offensive line when he was a player for multiple games.
The Crimson Tide appear to want to use their tight ends in multiple ways in the future including as extra blockers along the line of scrimmage. Fisher looks as if he can assist the Tide with this mission.
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Justin Smith is the Managing Editor and Lead Writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine with over 10 years of writing experience & expertise. Smith has consistently delivered high quality, extensively researched information on the University of Alabama’s Crimson Tide football team that fans can trust. Smith is official credentialed media with the University of Alabama under Touchdown Alabama Magazine. He is also the Director of Recruiting for Touchdown Enterprises, specializing in scouting and analyzing high school recruits around the nation, specifically focusing on recruits within the state of Alabama.