Things have been pretty quiet for Alabama basketball in the transfer portal lately—but that might be changing soon.
After missing out on Washington State’s Cedric Coward, Nate Oats and his staff have shifted their focus out west again. Now, Alabama looks like the frontrunner to land Cal State Northridge wing Keonte Jones out of the portal.
Jones is exactly the kind of player Oats is after: tough, versatile, and a defensive monster. He does a bit of everything—last season, he averaged 13.1 points, 9 rebounds, 4.1 assists, nearly 2 steals, and over a block per game. He also shot over 50% from the field and hit 38% of his threes, though he didn’t take many (13-of-34 total).
Standing at 6’6″, Jones is a do-it-all guy who can handle the ball, knock down the occasional three, get to the rim, crash the boards, and defend almost every position. But defense is where he really shines.
Even though Cal State Northridge ranked just 129th in adjusted defensive efficiency (according to KenPom), Jones stood out as one of the top individual defenders in the country. When he was on the court, opponents scored just 94.1 points per 100 possessions—not bad at all.
At one point, Jones was committed to Eric Musselman and USC, but he recently backed out of that. He’s played two years at Northridge and three in JUCO, so he’ll need a waiver to be eligible next season. That said, JUCO waivers have been pretty easy to get, so it probably won’t be a problem.
If Bama locks this in, Jones could be a game-changer next season. He looks like a natural replacement for Mo Dioubate—a glue guy who works his tail off, grabs boards, blocks shots, and brings serious energy. He’s the type of guy who might not light up the highlight reel, but he’ll help you win games.
His all-around game even draws some comparisons to Amarion Dickerson from Robert Morris—someone Bama fans might remember from the NCAA Tournament.
Even if he’s not a high-volume shooter, with stretch bigs like Noah Williamson and Aiden Sherrell on the floor, Jones could thrive in the dunker spot thanks to his athleticism.
Bottom line: He might not be the flashiest name in the portal, but he’s a winner—and he could make a real impact in Tuscaloosa.
