Josh Primo and Jaden Shackelford Announce Future Plans with Alabama
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — After much speculation following a stellar NBA Draft Combine for Alabama rising sophomore guard Josh Primo and rising junior guard Jaden Shackelford, all questions surrounding whether they would return for another season with the Crimson Tide or fully declare for the NBA Draft were answered on Wednesday night.
Primo has reached a decision and will be leaving coach Nate Oats and Alabama to join the ranks of the NBA. He has also officially hired an agent.
“This has been a lifelong dream for Josh and I am extremely excited for him and his family," Oats said in a statement. "He’s been great to coach and I am grateful that they trusted our staff to help prepare him for this moment. Our team had a successful season last year and Josh played a big part in that success.
"We couldn’t be happier that his hard work is paying off. He is a terrific young man who has been an incredible representative of our program.”
Primo later confirmed his decision in a post on his personal Instagram:
Shackelford, on the other hand, is keeping his name in the NBA Draft process but will also be entering his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal, according to a report by Stadium.
As a sophomore, Shackelford started in 32 games and led the team in points with 461 — an average of 14 points per game. He also finished fourth on the team in rebounds with 125 and totaled 65 assists and 28 steals.
While the transfer news of Shackelford is probably quite surprising for Crimson Tide fans, Primo's decision to formally declare for the NBA Draft isn't quite as unexpected.
"Going into this draft, it was a test-the-waters situation, but as time went on and I continued to get feedback, it became more real each and every day," Primo told ESPN. "I'm ready to help a winning franchise. I talked to Coach [Nate] Oats a lot. He wants what's best for me and is right behind me."
Last season, Primo saw action in 30 games and started in 19 of them as a true freshman. He finished fourth on the team in points with 244, an average of 8.1 per game. He also totaled 101 rebounds, 25 assists and 17 blocks.
With Primo departing Alabama, should he be drafted in the first round as is currently projected, it will make it back-to-back years in which a player was selected in the first round, guard Kira Lewis Jr. being the other in the 2020 NBA Draft. The accomplishment for the Crimson Tide would no doubt go a long way in helping Oats recruit potential NBA talent, improving the already impressive recruiting job that he and his staff have done since their arrival in 2019.
Despite only having played at Alabama for one season, Primo feels that he is ready for the NBA.
"I'm ready right now," Primo told ESPN. "My skill-set shows it. I can shoot the ball, which opens up my game, creating for teammates, getting downhill and seeing over the top of the defense. On the defensive end I can switch, guard multiple positions and give energy to the team.
"I'm always going to go out and play hard. I'm confident I'll be able to contribute."
