Alabama Should Heavily Pursue Cruz Davis in the Transfer Portal: Just a Minute

Welcome to BamaCentral’s "Just a Minute," a video series featuring Alabama Crimson Tide on SI's beat writers. Multiple times per week, the writers will group up or film solo to provide their take on a topic concerning the Crimson Tide or the landscape of college sports.

Watch the above video as BamaCentral writer Theodore Fernandez explains why Alabama basketball should pursue Hofstra guard Cruz Davis in the transfer portal

Alabama basketball opened NCAA Tournament play with a 90-70 win over Hofstra in the Round of 64. The game may ultimately have given Nate Oats a closer look at his next point guard, as Cruz Davis, the 2026 Coastal Athletic Association Player of the Year, announced he would be entering the transfer portal on Monday.

Davis was one of the best mid-major point guards in the nation last season, averaging 20.1 points, 4.7 assists and 3.7 rebounds while shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc. He led the Pride to its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 25 years, and now appears primed for a jump to the highest level of college basketball.

Davis started his career with Iona, passing up offers from better programs in favor of playing for Rick Pitino. He was an All-MAAC Rookie Team selection with the Gaels, and then followed Pitino to St. John's, where he battled injuries. He transferred to Hofstra to continue to develop under former NBA point guard Speedy Claxton, self-referred to as "The Guardfather."

Davis has turned into a complete player over his two years in Hempstead, NY. He is a lethal three-point shooter and adept three-level scorer with no significant offensive flaws. The rising senior boasts elite court vision and excels at finding mismatches and making teams pay for lapses in coverage on the weak side.

Davis was very screen-reliant at Hofstra in a slow-paced half-court offense. It wouldn't be the most natural transition to Oats' system, but there's little reason to doubt his ability to adjust. Davis is 6-foot-3 and athletic enough to avoid being a defensive liability on an SEC court.

Oats had success with another Hofstra transfer, Aaron Estrada, who was a key player for the Crimson Tide throughout its 2024 Final Four run. It's time for Oats to reopen the Hostra-to-Alabama pipeline and bring Davis to Tuscaloosa.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news.

Alabama Should Heavily Pursue Cruz Davis in the Transfer Portal: Just a Minute

Read More on Cruz Davis:

Why Alabama's Matchup With Hofstra Is More Complicated Than It Looks

Opposing Guards Each Need to Control Tempo in Stylistic Clash Between Alabama, Hofstra