The Extra Point: Alabama's Potential NBA Future
The Alabama men's basketball team plays Vanderbilt in Coleman Coliseum on Tuesday night (7:30 p.m. CT, SEC Network) with hopes to rebound after a blowout loss at Oklahoma on Saturday.
Assuming it gets back on track as the nation's No. 4 ranked team, the season will start to speed up as we look forward to March Madness and even the NBA Draft on June 22.
With Brandon Miller likely going within the top half of the draft, who else from the Crimson Tide should we expect to see wearing an NBA jersey in the next year or two?
Forward Noah Clowney has struggled from behind the arc recently, but he's excelled on all other facets of the game as he's in the top three of nearly every stat category and second in the SEC in rebounds per game (8.5). Clowney is also among the team leaders in Nate Oats' blue-collar points. If he could elevate his three-point percentage (24.2 percent), he has the potential to be a threat in the NBA.
Ohio transfer guard Mark Sears has also been impressive in his first year at Alabama. Sears currently ranks 12th in the SEC in points per game with 14.0. If he could elevate his playmaking and assists numbers, he should definitely see time on the NBA or G-League hardwood.
Senior guard Jahvon Quinerly missed the first two games of the season, finalizing his ACL tear recovery back in March. He's gone away from being a pure scorer the last two seasons and has become more of a playmaker. The sixth-highest scorer on the team could make a run at the NBA or G-League if he simply takes more shots, making him more confident.
Freshman guard Jaden Bradley has been an excellent addition to the Crimson Tide. The IMG Academy product leads the team in assists, but could afford to score slightly more (8.1 points per game). His playmaking ability alone, though, is a trait that NBA general manager's will keep their eye on.
See Also:
Who Will Step Up For Alabama Basketball In The Second Half of SEC Play? Just A Minute
It's Time to Talk About the Elephant in the Room With Alabama Basketball: All Things CW
The Extra Point: What Areas Does Alabama Need to Improve after Loss to Oklahoma?
