By Hunter Cruse
Alabama basketball has been dominant on the recruiting circuit over the past few seasons, foreshadowing what could be a bright future for the program. Nate Oats has one of the most enticing offers to show for in all of college basketball, holding similar concepts to those used in the NBA.
Today, we'll look at three prospects the Crimson Tide will have its eye on in the 2022 class.
Shaedon Sharpe, five-star shooting guard
Rivals rank: No. 20 overall, No. 5 shooting guard
Scouting report: Sharpe is one of the highest rising juniors, climbing 70 spots in the latest Rivals150. He averaged 13.0 points, 2.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds at the FIBA U16 Championship in 2019. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Canadian guard is a superb athlete who played for the same AAU program as current Alabama players, Joshua Primo and Keon Ambrose-Hylton.
Sharpe's athleticism is one of his biggest attributes. He has one of the best first steps in his class, holding incredible burst. He’s an absolute terror in transition and should fit into Oats’ system with ease. As an outside shooter, Sharpe lacks some consistency as his shot is far from polished. Although that doesn’t take anything away from his scoring upside as he creates strong separation on his jumper, possessing the handle to make difficult plays through a tight window or a dribble handoff. He's likely to be a secondary ball-handler but makes some quality decisions in the open court.
On the defensive end, Sharpe has the physical tools to be a positive contributor at the next level. He's a long-athlete who makes plays in help-side defense but struggles with consistent effort. He’s an impact shot blocker when his aggression level is up which can lead to highlight-reel moments.
Rivals national basketball analyst Rob Cassidy’s take: “Sharpe is a guy I’m excited to see on the circuit this offseason, and he’s added length and starting to really blow up from a recruitment standpoint. He’s long been high on Alabama, and the Tide will figure in until the end. Somewhat recent offers from Kentucky and Kansas could make things interesting.”
Rodney Rice, four-star point guard
Rivals rank: No. 77 overall, No. 21 point guard
Scouting report: Rice is a dynamic scorer who impacts the game in a multitude of facets. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard is valuable on and off the ball and is an elite shotmaker who is fluid from long-range. He is also one of the better movement shooters in his class. Alabama's rim-and-three philosophy should fit right into Rice's game. He's not the flashiest athlete but possesses some sneaky burst, opening up shots for teammates on dribble penetration opportunities. Speaking more on his court awareness, Rice shows strong poise in the pick-and-roll when facing a hard hedge or double team. He has ideal size to play in a combo-guard role.
Rice is a capable defender with strong awareness to be productive in help situations. An optimal option to switch between guarding the primary or secondary ball-handler in most situations. Rice is a player to watch over the summer circuit.
Rice on Alabama: “I like Alabama, and I have a good connection with Coach Oats and the Assistant Coach Hodgson. I love their NBA style of play. They get up a lot of 3s, and for me, I think that’s the strongest part of my game.”
Cassidy’s take: “Rice is a pass-first guard who is still capable of scoring in bunches. He gets up the floor quickly and has no problem absorbing contact in the paint. He seems high on Louisville, but Alabama remains in play along with a handful of others. I wouldn’t expect a commitment to come until during or after the summer.”
Chandler Jackson, three-star point guard
Rivals rank: unranked
Scouting report: Jackson was the leading force on a Christian Brothers (Tenn.) High School team that rose to national status with a perfect record to begin the 2020-21 season. Listed at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, he has nice size for his age. He’s a fearless attacker with the ability to split multiple defenders using his strength. He’s also an elite finisher at the rim and can get into the lane and make kick out passes.
Jackson needs to continue rounding out his game. At the moment, he’s a project shooter lacking consistent hand placement. He shows consistency from the free-throw line, it’s just a matter of translating it to live action. He needs to limit contested mid-range jumpers and look to utilize his floater more often. Jackson does a great job at creating separation on drives by getting his defender on his hip.
Again, his size doesn’t get talked about enough. Jackson has the potential to fit into every team's ideal multi-position defender. He currently struggles to cut off driving lanes, but that’s a problem that could be fixed easily. Jackson is likely a secondary option at the guard position for Alabama in the 2022 class.
Jackson on Alabama: “I really like Alabama and what Coach Oats is doing, and I love the relationship that I have with Coach Henry. It’s a school I can definitely see myself going to.”
Cassidy’s take: “I get this sense that the 6-foot-4 combo guard is still pretty wide open. Jackson, who is as strong and tough as guards come, issues his body to create space and opportunities and has long been a steady finisher in the lane. Alabama along with Vanderbilt and Ole Miss are heavily involved at this juncture.”
Alabama basketball has been dominant on the recruiting circuit over the past few seasons, foreshadowing what could be a bright future for the program. Nate Oats has one of the most enticing offers to show for in all of college basketball, holding similar concepts to those used in the NBA.
Today, we'll look at three prospects the Crimson Tide will have its eye on in the 2022 class.
Shaedon Sharpe, five-star shooting guard
Rivals rank: No. 20 overall, No. 5 shooting guard
Scouting report: Sharpe is one of the highest rising juniors, climbing 70 spots in the latest Rivals150. He averaged 13.0 points, 2.3 assists, and 3.7 rebounds at the FIBA U16 Championship in 2019. The 6-foot-4, 190-pound Canadian guard is a superb athlete who played for the same AAU program as current Alabama players, Joshua Primo and Keon Ambrose-Hylton.
Sharpe's athleticism is one of his biggest attributes. He has one of the best first steps in his class, holding incredible burst. He’s an absolute terror in transition and should fit into Oats’ system with ease. As an outside shooter, Sharpe lacks some consistency as his shot is far from polished. Although that doesn’t take anything away from his scoring upside as he creates strong separation on his jumper, possessing the handle to make difficult plays through a tight window or a dribble handoff. He's likely to be a secondary ball-handler but makes some quality decisions in the open court.
On the defensive end, Sharpe has the physical tools to be a positive contributor at the next level. He's a long-athlete who makes plays in help-side defense but struggles with consistent effort. He’s an impact shot blocker when his aggression level is up which can lead to highlight-reel moments.
Rivals national basketball analyst Rob Cassidy’s take: “Sharpe is a guy I’m excited to see on the circuit this offseason, and he’s added length and starting to really blow up from a recruitment standpoint. He’s long been high on Alabama, and the Tide will figure in until the end. Somewhat recent offers from Kentucky and Kansas could make things interesting.”
Rodney Rice, four-star point guard
Rivals rank: No. 77 overall, No. 21 point guard
Scouting report: Rice is a dynamic scorer who impacts the game in a multitude of facets. The 6-foot-4, 185-pound guard is valuable on and off the ball and is an elite shotmaker who is fluid from long-range. He is also one of the better movement shooters in his class. Alabama's rim-and-three philosophy should fit right into Rice's game. He's not the flashiest athlete but possesses some sneaky burst, opening up shots for teammates on dribble penetration opportunities. Speaking more on his court awareness, Rice shows strong poise in the pick-and-roll when facing a hard hedge or double team. He has ideal size to play in a combo-guard role.
Rice is a capable defender with strong awareness to be productive in help situations. An optimal option to switch between guarding the primary or secondary ball-handler in most situations. Rice is a player to watch over the summer circuit.
Rice on Alabama: “I like Alabama, and I have a good connection with Coach Oats and the Assistant Coach Hodgson. I love their NBA style of play. They get up a lot of 3s, and for me, I think that’s the strongest part of my game.”
Cassidy’s take: “Rice is a pass-first guard who is still capable of scoring in bunches. He gets up the floor quickly and has no problem absorbing contact in the paint. He seems high on Louisville, but Alabama remains in play along with a handful of others. I wouldn’t expect a commitment to come until during or after the summer.”
Chandler Jackson, three-star point guard
Rivals rank: unranked
Scouting report: Jackson was the leading force on a Christian Brothers (Tenn.) High School team that rose to national status with a perfect record to begin the 2020-21 season. Listed at 6-foot-4, 200 pounds, he has nice size for his age. He’s a fearless attacker with the ability to split multiple defenders using his strength. He’s also an elite finisher at the rim and can get into the lane and make kick out passes.
Jackson needs to continue rounding out his game. At the moment, he’s a project shooter lacking consistent hand placement. He shows consistency from the free-throw line, it’s just a matter of translating it to live action. He needs to limit contested mid-range jumpers and look to utilize his floater more often. Jackson does a great job at creating separation on drives by getting his defender on his hip.
Again, his size doesn’t get talked about enough. Jackson has the potential to fit into every team's ideal multi-position defender. He currently struggles to cut off driving lanes, but that’s a problem that could be fixed easily. Jackson is likely a secondary option at the guard position for Alabama in the 2022 class.
Jackson on Alabama: “I really like Alabama and what Coach Oats is doing, and I love the relationship that I have with Coach Henry. It’s a school I can definitely see myself going to.”
Cassidy’s take: “I get this sense that the 6-foot-4 combo guard is still pretty wide open. Jackson, who is as strong and tough as guards come, issues his body to create space and opportunities and has long been a steady finisher in the lane. Alabama along with Vanderbilt and Ole Miss are heavily involved at this juncture.”