Brandon Garrison has already made an impression at Alabama, and it’s the kind that has his new teammates talking in pretty direct terms.
Nate Oats set the tone last week when he called Garrison “maybe the best passing big I’ve ever coached,” a striking compliment from a coach who, during the 2025-26 regular season, had said Kentucky’s bigs weren’t great passers. That history makes the praise stand out even more, but the bigger point is simple: Alabama thinks it has found a center who can do more than just occupy space inside.
Sophomore forward Amari Allen backed that up on Tuesday at SEC Basketball Tipoff in Birmingham.
“Personally, he’s the best passer I’ve ever played with,” Allen said of Garrison. “The passes he makes in practice, like it’s crazy to throw it between guys’ legs and everything. And he can also defend super well and rebound.”
That kind of versatility is exactly what Oats said he wanted while building the roster this offseason. He emphasized that his system doesn’t need a true point guard to function, because everyone can handle the ball and act as a creator. He also made it clear Alabama wanted more size, and Garrison gives them both of those things in one package.
The 6-foot-10 big man spent two seasons at Kentucky, where flashes of real difference-making ability were there. Consistency was the issue. At Alabama, the early reports suggest he’s taking a step forward.
Forward Drew Fielder, a Boise State transfer, described Garrison as more than just a passer.
“He really is a great passer and a great connector,” Fielder said. “But he does a lot.
His shot is good, it’s fluid, he rebounds, he plays defense. He does a lot.
And we need him to play his best and be his best all the time because he’s going to be really important for us.”
If that all comes together, Alabama may have something special on its hands in 2026-27. And Kentucky fans will get a first-hand look when Garrison returns to Rupp Arena on Feb. 6.
In Other News...
Kentucky Is Suddenly In The Hunt For 3 Program-Changing Recruits
Kentucky footballs new era under Will Stein is already showing up on the recruiting trail, where the Wildcats are being mentioned with three of the most coveted names in the 2028 class. Wide receiver Jordan Anderson, defensive lineman Kellan Hall and cornerback Grayden Reid have all drawn strong attention nationally, and multiple recruiting analysts have noted that Kentucky has been actively pushing for each of them. For a program trying to build momentum early with a younger class, that kind of visibility matters.
Joe Price, Jay Bateman and Allen Brown have all been involved in those efforts, giving Kentucky a staff presence around three prospects who could alter the trajectory of the class if the Wildcats can stay in the mix. The long lead time only adds to the intrigue, since these are the kinds of recruitments that can swing on relationships, development plans and continued persistence over time. Right now, Kentucky appears to be positioned in the conversation in a way that would have felt much harder to imagine not long ago. [Read more 🡒]
Kentuckys 1950 Title Claim Still Comes Down To One Debate
Kentuckys long-running football argument with Oklahoma has a clean backdrop this week, because the schools have barely crossed paths at all. The Wildcats and Sooners have met only three times before their upcoming SEC matchup, and the history between them goes right back to one of college footballs most debated seasons, when Kentucky added a retroactive national title claim from 1950.
That season still turns on which standard you trust more. Kentucky points to its Sugar Bowl win over Oklahoma as the seasons defining result, while Oklahoma finished the regular season atop both major polls. Add in the fact that Tennessee and Princeton also claim national titles from that year under different systems, and the old question remains as unresolved as ever: who really owned 1950? [Read more 🡒]
Mark Popes First Kentucky Team Just Got An Early SEC Reality Check
Kentuckys basketball reset under Mark Pope has already entered the part of the calendar where preseason optimism meets leaguewide skepticism. At SEC Media Days in Birmingham, the conferences preseason projections placed the Wildcats seventh on the mens side, even as two Kentucky players landed on the preseason All-SEC teams. It was a reminder that the first year of a new era does not come with much benefit of the doubt, even for a program with this much expectation baked in.
The womens team drew a stronger early nod, coming in at fifth in the league and getting Clara Strack on the preseason All-SEC First Team. Both teams are now turning their attention to actual basketball, with the men set to begin exhibition play against Little Rock as the season starts to take shape. For Kentucky, the rankings are only preseason noise, but they do offer an early snapshot of where the league thinks the Wildcats stand before the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]