Derrion Reid: A Breakdown of Alabama Basketball's Newest Five-Star Plus+ Commitment

Nate Oats got his man on Friday when Five-Star Plus+ small forward Derrion Reid committed to Alabama. He is the third commitment for the Crimson Tide in the 2024 recruiting cycle.

Reid joins four-star center Aiden Sherrell and four-star small forward Naas Cunningham in the class. Prior to Reid’s commitment, Alabama carried the No. 9 overall class in On3’s 2024 Recruiting Class Rankings. This comes behind a four-man Alabama class in the 2023 cycle that finished No. 14 overall.

Let’s discuss what getting Derrion Reid means for Alabama.

READ in-depth Derrion Reid Recruiting Interview from earlier this month.

Who is Derrion Reid?

Derrion Reid is a 6-foot-7, 200-pound small forward. He is originally from Grovetown, Georgia, and transferred to play his season at Napa (CA) Prolific Prep. Reid chose Alabama over a final group that also included Georgia and Florida State.

Reid averaged 17.2 points this summer, playing for the Team Thad Program on Nike’s EYBL Circuit. He shot 57.0 percent from the field and 40.0 percent from three through his 21 games played.

“I have a well-rounded game, and look to get my teammates involved,” Reid told On3. “I’m a hard-nosed player, on the glass on defense, whatever my team needs me to do. I feel like my motor has been a big part of me moving up in rankings, and it has shown more of what I can do. I watch a lot of Jayson Tatum and LeBron James, how they are bigger and can do everything, get to their spots, and get their teammates better.”

What Does He Bring to Alabama?

There are a lot of aspects to appreciate with Derrion Reid’s game. He has excellent length with fluid athleticism and good positional size. His frame is very projectable and he should have no issue adding quality weight and not losing any of his explosion or wiggle.

The first thing that popped out to me with Reid was his passing ability. Despite being listed as a 6-foot-7 wing, Reid is capable of making live dribble passes, with both hands, on target. He is a solid processor, but his ability to deliver on target and on time is interesting.

Reid popped out this summer with an alpha mentality. While he was good prior to the summer, a switch seemed to click for Reid around the April timeframe, and he has not looked back since. Reid played uber-aggressively on both ends of the floor. Using his length and athleticism to attack relentlessly downhill, putting consistent pressure on the rim. He played through contact, drawing 7.2 fouls per game during the regular season of Nike’s EYBL Circuit.

Reid is a good rebounder and a candidate to push the break on each change of possession. He is equally as comfortable filling the lane as he is with the ball in his hands, making a play in transition. He averaged 6.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists this summer.

Defensively, Reid is very instinctive and quick-twitch. He has good hands and anticipation in the passing lanes, gathering a good number of deflections defending off-ball. He is also a sneaky weak-side shot blocker, as he understands rotations and has good footwork. Reid is still raw on the defensive end, but the upside is high as the production is already in place.

The jump shot for Reid is continuing to develop. Offensively, he would much rather attack downhill and get to the basket, but he did shoot 40 percent from three on low volume (1.7 attempts per game). There is upside from three, and as he continues to work on his pace, the middle game should continue coming around as well.

How does Derrion Reid fit at Alabama?

Looking at the current class, Aiden Sherrell is a straight college five-man and Naas Cunningham is a perimeter-based wing. Reid, a slashing versatile defender with passing chops, will fit nicely in the mix of those two pieces.

Looking at last year’s class, it could get a little trickier. Oats has focused on length and positional versatility in his high school recruitment over the last two years. Jarin Stevenson and Sam Walters are both skilled fours. Mouhamed Dioubate is a versatile defensive four. Davin Cosby is a two/three with range.

While many of the body types through the last two Alabama classes are similar, there are a lot of different looks they can give. And a central piece of those looks is a Five-Star Plus+ small forward.

What Reid Has Said About Alabama

“They have been involved since the beginning of my recruitment. They’ve been on me heavily throughout, and they tell me I can come in and make an immediate impact with their style of play. The bond that the players have off the court stood out for me on the visit. Like the way the players and coaches all interacted when we went out to eat, and stuff. 

“They play freely there with a lot of spacing. I can come in and make an immediate impact and get better as a player.”