Alabama basketball isn’t making a late run at the newly eligible Class of 2022 pool, at least not according to Nate Oats.
The Crimson Tide coach made it clear in a 247Sports survey of college basketball coaches that Alabama’s roster work is essentially finished after a recent Colorado ruling opened the door for certain players from that class to gain extended eligibility.
“At this point, our roster's pretty well set and our money's gone, so I'm not really going to do anything,” Oats said.
That stance comes after Alabama had been linked to former Drake forward Isaiah Carr and ex-Michigan State center Jaxon Kohler following the federal court ruling on July 31. But Oats’ comments suggest the Tide are choosing not to chase that market, even with the possibility of added help now available.
Alabama has already dealt with the chaos that can come with eligibility questions. The program was in the middle of an eligibility lawsuit earlier in 2026 when it added Charles Bediako mid-season, and Oats’ latest comments show a cautious approach this time around.
“I think some teams held spots and money in case this happened, and they're probably going to benefit from it,” Oats continued. “You just assume they're not going to change the rules after everybody is done putting their teams together, but I guess that's not a safe assumption anymore.”
The Tide’s last roster move came on July 20, when they added 7-foot Canadian center TJ St. Louis, who will be a freshman this season.
Oats also took aim at the timing of the new rule, saying, “It seems like now they're just asking for lawsuits every which way possible to create chaos to make Congress pass legislation. Why else would you pass that new rule in the beginning of summer and not in the fall?”
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