With the Early-Signing Period Over, Who Does Alabama Basketball Turn to Next in 2020 Class?

A look at the top targets still on the board for Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide men's basketball program

Four-star forward Keon-Ambrose Hylton was Alabama’s lone signee of the early signing period. He verbally committed to the Crimson Tide last Sunday, then he sent in his national letter of intent on Tuesday.

“He is a big time gym rat,” Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats said. “Those are the kind of guys we want. He is six-foot-eight and significantly improving his skill level. Very athletic and can play multiple positions. On top of it, he is a great kid, too.”

The early signing period might be over, but Oats and his staff are adamantly at work trying to fill out the rest of the 2020 class and beyond. After the team’s 81-73 win against Furman on Tuesday night, Oats laid out his plan of action.

“We are not done in 2020,” Oats said. “There are still some guys we are going after. Ideally, we want to get an athletic big man to compliment what we have. And ideally, get another combo guard because we anticipate Kira [Lewis Jr.] might be good enough to go to the draft. If we could get a guard who can pass, dribble, and shoot and do all three at a high level that would be ideal because of the way we play we need skill players. We would like to sign a couple guys late depending on the roster."

Transfer guard Beetle Bolden is the Crimson Tide’s only senior, so scholarships are limited, but if sophomore guard Kira Lewis Jr. decides to go to the NBA it would shake things up. Through four games, he is averaging 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and five assists.

Before Ambrose-Hylton’s pledge, the Crimson Tide missed out on top 2020 targets in five-star guard Nimari Burnett and five-star forward Isaiah Jackson when they decided to commit to Texas Tech and Kentucky, respectively.

Here are a few possibilities of who the Crimson Tide could turn to next in this current recruiting cycle:

Five-star CG Karim Mane (Vanier College - Montreal, QC)

Mane is a combo guard who checks in at six-foot-four and 195 pounds. 247sports rates him as the 25th best player in 2020 and the top player in all of Quebec. He has elite athleticism and attacks the rim at will as seen in the video above. Over the weekend, Oats was in Conneticut to watch Mane's team in a showcase event. Other schools interested in services include Marquette, Illinois, Georgetown, Kansas, and Maryland. 

Four-star C Charles Bediako (Andrews Osborne Academy - Willoughby, OH)

Bediako is currently in the 2021 class, but there is a chance he reclassifies to 2020. He is a lanky center who stands at six-foot-11 and 215 pounds. In today’s game, he fits the role of a modern big man who can protect the rim and shoot the three. Bediako is listed as the 39th best player according to 247sports and 33rd on ESPN’s list of the top 60 juniors in the nation. Oats will look to Ambrose-Hylton to do some recruiting of his own, as they both are on the same high school team.

Four-star SG Joshua Primo (Compass Prep - Chandler, AZ)

Primo (6-6, 180) is another Canadian who has the opportunity to reclassify from 2021 to 2020. A top-50 player nationally according to ESPN and 247sports. He participated in six games during Team Canada's run in the FIBA U19 World Cup alongside Primo, Bediako, and Ambrose-Hlyton. Great size and shown flashes of outstanding range from beyond the arc. Along with the Crimson Tide, he holds offers from TCU, Ohio State, Creighton, California, and Oregon per his Twitter account.