By Loveth 
Alabama basketball is staying active in the transfer portal after their Elite Eight run ended against Duke. Head coach Nate Oats has already picked up two new players: Bucknell center Noah Williamson and Florida State forward Taylor Bol Bowen. On the flip side, two Tide players—Naas Cunningham and Mouhamed Dioubate—have entered the portal.
Right now, Bama has one open spot on the roster, but that number could increase if roster rules change or more players leave. Oats and his staff are still chasing more talent, and one of their top targets is set to visit next week.
Jalil Bethea, a former 5-star recruit and No. 7 overall player in the 2024 class, is planning visits to Alabama and NC State after the recruiting dead period ends on April 10. He transferred from Miami after a rough freshman year where he averaged 7.1 points per game and shot under 37%. Even though his first year didn’t go as expected, there’s still a lot of potential there—kind of like what Alabama saw in Aden Holloway when he transferred from Auburn.
It seems like this could turn into a recruiting battle between Nate Oats and Will Wade (now coaching at McNeese State). Alabama’s also looking at Jacksonville State guard Jaron Pierre Jr., so which direction they go might depend on how their current guard situation shakes out.
The big X-factor here is Labaron Philon. If he decides to stay for another year, Bethea could fill more of a supporting role off the bench while he develops. But if Philon heads to the NBA, Bama might lean toward someone like Pierre Jr., who’s more of a proven veteran and can run the show.
Philon has until April 26 to declare for the draft and until June 15 to pull out if he wants to keep his college eligibility.