Brandon Garrison didn’t need long to make an impression at Alabama, and the Crimson Tide didn’t need long to decide they wanted more of what he brings.
The Kentucky transfer turned in a sharp debut last week against Furman in Alabama’s first exhibition game, scoring 15 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting night. He hit his only 3-point attempt and did most of his work around the rim, giving a quick glimpse of the inside-out skill set Nate Oats believes can change the look of Alabama’s frontcourt.
That fit was part of the appeal from the start. Oats spent the offseason looking to add size after Alabama got pushed around by bigger, more physical teams last season.
Garrison, after an uneven two-year run in Lexington that followed a promising freshman season at Oklahoma State, emerged as an unexpected but intriguing target. Oats saw more than the inconsistency that defined his recent stretch.
He saw a player with enough versatility to help Alabama take a step forward.
Garrison, for his part, said the Tide made sense as soon as he started thinking through his options in the portal. At SEC Tip-Off on Tuesday, he pointed to former Alabama forward Mo Dioubate as a key voice in the process.
"When I was in the portal, obviously we're close, so I was talking to him about it," Garrison said of conversing with Dioubate about Alabama." He kinda knew where my head was leaning towards, but he's been here; he loved it here.
Don't think he wanted to leave, honestly. He told me how the coaches was, the blue-collar they have, the style they play.
It fits my game; it's a no-brainer."
Dioubate’s path made the connection even more notable. He spent two seasons in Tuscaloosa and became a fan-favorite because of his hustle and toughness before entering the portal after his sophomore year and landing at Kentucky. After one season with the Wildcats, he entered the portal again and is now at LSU.
For Alabama, the hope is that Garrison can provide more than just energy and size. Oats made a striking claim after the Furman exhibition, saying Garrison is the best passing big man he has coached. That reputation hasn’t always traveled with Garrison through his first three college seasons, but Alabama clearly believes there’s another level there.
Amari Allen backed that up Tuesday.
“BG, personally, he’s the best passer I’ve ever played with,” Allen said. ‘The passes he makes in practice, it’s crazy.
He throws it between guys’ legs and everything. He can also defend super well and rebound."
That combination is exactly why Alabama pursued him. The Tide want the consistency that was missing at Kentucky, but they also want the parts of Garrison’s game that haven’t been fully tapped yet.
In Other News...
SEC Response To Alabamas Georgia Frustration Wont Ease Many Fans
The aftermath of Alabamas game with Georgia has turned less on the final outcome than on the officiating decisions that left plenty of Crimson Tide fans frustrated. Several calls were disputed during the game, including a no-call on a potential pass interference, and the conversation spilled into the public view as SEC commissioner Greg Sankey addressed how the league handles those kinds of controversies.
Sankey said the conference does not comment on judgment calls made by officials, while also stressing that officiating is difficult and that the SEC will review errors involving rule application. For Alabama fans still looking for clarity, though, that distinction is unlikely to calm much of the noise around a game that already had enough contentious moments to linger well beyond the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]
National Analyst Reignites Georgia Alabama Officiating Debate After Bulldogs Win
Joel Klatt has stirred the pot again in the aftermath of Georgias win over Alabama, using his podcast to revisit the kind of officiating debate that tends to linger long after the final whistle. The national analyst pointed to a non-called pass interference in the fourth quarter as the clearest example of what he felt went Georgias way, framing it as a moment that may have helped shape how the game played out.
For Alabama fans, the frustration is obvious because the loss already carried plenty of weight in a marquee matchup. Klatt did not go so far as to suggest the Crimson Tide were out of the national picture, though, making clear he still views Alabama as a legitimate College Football Playoff championship contender despite the controversy that followed the game. [Read more 🡒]
Nate Oats Signals Progress As Alabama Waits On Aden Holloway
Aden Holloways return to Alabama basketball is still on hold, but the situation around his suspension has moved in a more encouraging direction. Holloway is serving a five-game absence tied to a spring arrest on marijuana charges, a stretch that includes three exhibition games and two regular-season games, even though those charges were dismissed after he completed the Second Chance Program. He has already been reinstated to the roster, which at least gives Alabama a clearer path forward as it waits for the final green light.
Nate Oats and athletics director Greg Byrne have both spoken publicly about Holloways progress, a sign the program is tracking the situation closely rather than treating it as a distant off-field issue. For Alabama, the delay matters because Holloway is not just back in the system, he is still not allowed to play, leaving the Tide to manage the early schedule without him while the last step in the process plays out. [Read more 🡒]