A phenom’s visit and a plethora of talent combining in workouts mark an intriguing week for Alabama Crimson Tide basketball.
Alabama Crimson Tide basketball fans are thrilled. Alabama is projected by national college basketball critics to be the fourth or fifth best SEC team. Many Crimson Tide fans believe such experts are mistaken.
Nate Oats recently made a shocking comment, claiming that the 2025-26 Crimson Tide could be the best shooting team he has ever coached. According to current assessments from Alabama basketball insiders, the Tide will also enhance their defense.
The past week has stoked speculation regarding Alabama Basketball’s future. Caleb Holt, an excellent 2026 prospect, returned to Tuscaloosa earlier this week. The Alabama Mr. Basketball is in his sophomore season at Buckhorn High School, in Huntsville, and has taken many unofficial visits. After a junior season in Georgia, he will attend Prolific Prep in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. How good is Holt? The 5-star is ranked second among shooting guards in the 2026 class and fifth overall in the 247Sports Composite. Until Holt, no Alabama sophomore had ever won Mr. Basketball. If he hadn’t left for Georgia, he would have won again last season. Holt, like Brandon Miller, is an ideal fit for Nate Oats‘ system of play.
Holt attended a practice this week. He saw a team full of talent, as did several Alabama basketball experts. The hype surrounding Holt’s visit was expected. The hype about how good the ’25 team looked was a plus.
The New Alabama Crimson Tide
The Oats’ assertion about good shooting is true, and the summer indications are that Houston Mallette has the potential to be Alabama’s best three-point shooter ever. The return of Labaron Philon heralds an offense in which Philon’s dribble-dish penetration will frequently involve three high-percentage teammates outside the arc. Alabama’s Mallette, Aden Holloway, Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Jalil Bethea, and Taylor Bol Bowen might rain threes like never before in Tuscaloosa.
Freshman Amari Allen, as well as transfers Noah Williamson and Keitenn Bristow, are expected to fit nicely into Alabama‘s playing rotation. Nate Oats still has a roster spot free, but it appears like the only need to fill it is for a backup big man.
Summer has flaws, but it appears that Crimson Tide fans’ optimism is well-founded.
An Alabama Crimson Tide opponent is right about next in professional college athletics.
As much as it pains Alabama Crimson Tide fans to acknowledge it, the University of Tennessee is correct about the next necessary step for professional college athletics.
I’m compelled to give the University of Tennessee credit for being correct, which feels like mental whiplash to me. At the very least, the current system of direct payment of athletes by schools represents progress toward appropriate compensation guidelines. Nonetheless, many critics believe the new NIL restrictions will be evaded, either through lawsuits or transactions over which the new clearinghouse program has no control. Stewart Mandel put it this way: “Every legal expert I’ve spoken with about this subject thinks there’s little chance this clearinghouse would survive a legal challenge” . The House agreement represents significant improvement, but there is no guarantee that certain excessive player salary budgets will not unfairly result in ‘purchased’ championships.
The fundamental issue for the NCAA, as well as the leagues and the new College Sports Commission, is the lack of an antitrust exemption. The United States Congress may grant the exemption, but legislators who have discussed it for years have never gotten traction. Without salary limitations, recent rule changes and new structures are unlikely to achieve competitive balance in college sports. Without anti-trust exclusions, no pay ceiling can ever withstand judicial scrutiny.
There is an obvious answer that university presidents and chancellors have been staunchly opposing for years. The goal is to turn the athletes into school employees. That is the only clear way to player payroll salary caps. Collective bargaining among athletes is linked to this approach. Players becoming employees would add costs to athletic budgets, as would the perilous terrain of Workers’ Compensation claims. Workers’ compensation would also apply to post-employment claims for medical concerns resulting from injuries sustained during college playing seasons.
It is also asserted that in many southern states, where anti-union sentiment is strong, university administrators would find it difficult to promote collective bargaining. Alabama is one of these states. So is Tennessee, but Tennessee Chancellor Donde Plowman and Tennessee Vols Athletic Director Danny White continue to advocate collective bargaining for athletes as employees.
Before the House settlement was approved, White and Plowman made a bold statement: “collective bargaining is the only solution.” Tennessee, like Alabama, is typically an anti-labor state, but in order to bargain collectively, a union must represent the players. There is no alternative way to enforce salary limitations.
Alabama Crimson Tide and the Tennessee Volunteers
Over the years, I’ve written about the Tennessee Volunteers and their history of breaking regulations. I recently wrote, both honestly and enthusiastically, that Tennessee might be expelled out of the SEC. An about-face is in order. My dislike for the Vols will endure. However, Plowman and White deserve credit for being the first SEC administrators to articulate what is required for collegiate sports to achieve competitive balance.
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