Alabama assistant Preston Murphy celebrates Cliff Omoruyi commitment
On Sunday, Alabama landed a commitment from former Rutgers center Cliff Omoruyi, via the NCAA Transfer Portal. After the news surfaced, Alabama assistant coach Preston Murphy celebrated the recruiting win on social media.
Murphy posted a cartoon of himself dropping a microphone. On his arm, Murphy donned the word, “LANK.” The acronym stands for “Let a Naysayer Know,” and has become synonymous with Alabama athletics.
This isn’t the first time Murphy has stirred up Alabama excitement on social media. Leading up to Omoruyi’s official commitment, Murphy posted multiple memes involving Clifford the Big Red Dog.
Murphy’s enthusiasm is understandable. After starting in just six games with 23 game appearances as a true freshman, Omoruyi started in 98 contests over the past three seasons at Rutgers. The 6-foot-11 standout averaged 11.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game.
For his efforts, Omoruyi has been named a Second-Team All-Big Ten selection, a two time All-Big Ten Honorable Mention and a two-time member of the First-Team All-Big Ten Defensive Team.
Omoruyi is ranked No. 4 all time in Rutgers’ program history in career rebounds, No. 4 in field goal percentage and tied for sixth all-time in career blocks.
Omoruyi played high school basketball at Roselle Catholic (NJ), where he was a four-star recruit. He was ranked the No. 47 overall prospect in the nation and the No. 8 center from the 2020 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
Now, with the help of Murphy, Omoruyi will ride for the Crimson Tide next season. When Alabama head coach Nate Oats hired Preston Murphy last summer, he praised Murphy’s energy. Fans now know exactly what Oats meant.
“I’m pleased to be completing our basketball staff with the addition of Coach Murphy. He was a highly sought-after candidate, and we were fortunate he was most interested in joining our program,” Oats said. “I have known Preston for a long time, and I am excited about the many ways he can add tremendous value to what we do.
“I am always impressed with his energy, his humility, and his basketball acumen. His insight, experience and ability to connect with student-athletes will be a significant advantage for us. Additionally, Preston is a great person who is highly-regarded throughout the college basketball community. We have every expectation his hire will contribute to the continued success and high benchmarks of Alabama basketball.”