Alabama Basketball Officially Signs Five New Additions

The Crimson Tide's new class of four transfers and one freshman was announced on Friday.

Jan 24, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats reacts after a scoring play against the Auburn Tigers during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports / Butch Dill-USA TODAY Sports

Alabama basketball's new additions for the 2024-25 season have all officially signed with the program, Alabama Athletics announced on Friday afternoon.

“I am thrilled with the players we brought in and the value they will add to our program," Alabama head coach Nate Oats said. "I am proud of our coaching staff in being able to add veteran leadership along with the talent of our incoming freshmen who have all played in big and meaningful games. We are excited to welcome both them and their families to the Alabama basketball program.” 

The first of the additions was Pepperdine transfer Houston Mallette, a 6-foot-5 guard who will have one year of eligibility remaining. Mallette committed to the Crimson Tide back in March, just before the NCAA Tournament.

“Houston is such a versatile guard with length and has unique play making skills," Oats said. "He can guard one through four and is a knock down shooter. He can make the open shots, get his teammates involved being a combo guard and make a multitude of plays due to his IQ on the court. Like all of our signees, he has a great team-first mindset and will be a great two-way player.”

Alabama then added South Florida transfer Chris Youngblood, a native of Tuscaloosa, who committed during A-Day. He was the co-AAC Player of the Year for the Bulls last season, and has shot 40 percent from three for three consecutive seasons.

“Chris is a proven winner who was the American Athletic Conference Player of the Year who is a knock down shooter and an unbelievable shooter of the catch," Oats said. "He is an exceptional downhill driver who can make explosive plays at the rim and is a relentless worker.” 

Oats made some waves by adding transfer Aden Holloway from archrival Auburn. Holloway is a former McDonald's All-American and 5-star recruit out of high school, and during his freshman season at Auburn was named to the SEC All-Freshman team.

“Coming out of high school as a McDonald’s All-American, Aden was one of the best shooting point guards in the country, all throughout his high school career," Oats said. "He has the ability to shoot it from deep, while being able to get into the paint and make plays. Defensively he can guard and keep people in front of him. He has a very special brand of skill, talent and hard work.”

Alabama made one final addition to its recruiting class as well, signing 4-star point guard Labaron Philon, a native of Mobile. Philon was committed to Kansas, and was once committed to Auburn before that, but requested a release from his LOI at Kansas last month.

“Labaron is an explosive combo guard that is dynamic in the open floor and can play above the rim. He shot over 40 percent from three in his high school career and is a tenacious competitor and we are excited to him have in our program," Oats said.

The final addition is Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi, one of the best shot blockers in the entire transfer portal and looks to be exactly what Alabama was missing as an interior defensive presence this past year.

“Cliff has arguably been one of the best shot blockers in the country and in the Big Ten over the last 25 years," Oats said. "He is a guy that will anchor our defense and has a great offensive skillset that we will be able to showcase. He is an exceptional athlete with a 7’6 wingspan and overall an elite athlete that will be a great addition to our team.”

Check out BamaCentral's 2024-25 Alabama basketball roster tracker for a complete breakdown on where the roster currently stands.