Nate Oats officially announces six player additions to Alabama basketball program

Head coach Nate Oats announced six additions to the Alabama men’s basketball program who have officially signed to continue their playing careers with the Crimson Tide. The signees include four-star prospects Kris Parker and Jarin Stevenson and transfers Aaron Estrada, Grant Nelson, Mohamed Wague and Latrell Wrightsell Jr.

These six players join the early signing class that also includes four-star prospects Mouhamed Dioubate and Sam Walters and Davin Cosby Jr., who early enrolled this past January.

“I am very proud of our coaching staff in being able to bring in not only high-quality players but high-character kids that will add value to our program,” Oats said in a release. “We put an emphasis on adding veteran leadership and both our incoming freshmen and transfers have all played in big and meaningful games. We are excited to welcome both them and their families to the Alabama basketball program.”

Aaron Estrada | GR | G | 6-3 | 195 | WOODBURY, N.J. (ST. BENEDICT’S PREPATORY/HOFSTRA)

• Back-to-back CAA Player of the Year
• Ranked as the No. 5 transfer according to On3 and No. 12 by ESPN.com
• Enters the 2023-24 season as the No. 10 returning scorer in Division I
• A 2023 NABC District 10 First Team honoree
• Averaged a 20.2 points per game, which ranked No. 22 in Division I, along with 5.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists
• Two-time First Team All-CAA honoree during his two seasons at Hofstra
• A Lou Henson National Player of the Year finalist in the last two seasons
• Scored double figures in 30 games last season and 57 throughout his collegiate career
• Averaged 19.4 points per game in five tournament and postseason games while at Hofstra

Oats on Aaron Estrada: “Aaron is an experienced, two-way lead guard that comes from a culture of winning at Hofstra. He has led his teams to multiple 20-win seasons and has been CAA Player of the Year in back-to-back years. He has great pace to his game and his ability to make open shots allows him to play multiple guard positions. His game will translate well to the SEC and we are excited about Aaron and his family choosing to come to Tuscaloosa for his final year.”

Grant Nelson | SR | F | 6-11 | 235 | DEVILS LAKE, N.D. (DEVILS LAKE HIGH SCHOOL/NORTH DAKOTA STATE)

• Ranked as the No. 6 transfer by On3 and No. 17 according to ESPN.com
• Enters the 2023-24 season as the No. 41 returning scorer in Division I
• Earned First Team All-Summit honors in 2023
• Became the second NDSU player to ever be selected as a USBWA All-District honoree (2023)
• Averaged 19.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.1 steals per game last season, leading NDSU in every category
• Scored 1,043 career points and grabbed 520 rebounds across three years for the Bison
• Scored a career-high 36 points last season against North Dakota
• Named Summit League Sixth Man of the Year in 2021 while earning a spot on the Summit League All-Newcomer Team during his freshman season

Oats on Grant Nelson: “Grant is joining us after having a storied career at North Dakota State. He has an unbelievable skill set at 6-11, which allows him to play any position on the court and will allow us to be multidimensional on both ends of the floor. He is an extremely hard worker with a blue-collar mentality that fits perfectly with the culture we have here. We are thankful Grant and his family decided to join the Crimson Tide this season.”

Kris Parker | FR | F | 6-6 | 170 | TALLAHASSEE, FLA. (CROSSROAD ACADEMY)

• Averaged 24.8 points, 14.2 rebounds, 7.1 assists and 2.4 blocks per game during his senior season at Crossroad Academy
• Named the Florida Class 2A Player of the Year
• Led Crossroad Academy to a 2A District 1 title in his final season
• Chose Alabama over Missouri, Villanova and UCF

Oats on Kris Parker: “Kris is a long, athletic and versatile wing and we anticipate him being a great two-way player for us. He has a great work ethic and is always in the gym and has great shooting ability for his size and we have had success in the past with players similar to his size. With his upside and his work ethic, we are excited to bring him into our program and work with him. On top of being a great player, he is a great kid who loves being a part of a community.”

Jarin Stevenson | FR | F | 6-11 | 207 | CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (SEAFORTH HIGH SCHOOL)

• Named the 2023 North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year
• Averaged 21.8 points, 11.7 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game in his final season at Seaforth
• Averaged 12.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in 16 games playing for Team United on the Nike EYBL Circuit
• His mother, Nicole (Walker) Stevenson played basketball at North Carolina where she won three ACC Championships from 1995-98
• Father, Jarod Stevenson, played at Richmond where he scored over 4,000 career points and played professionally for over a decade
• Chose Alabama over North Carolina, Missouri and Virginia

Oats on Jarin Stevenson: “We are thankful Jarin has trusted us with coming to Tuscaloosa early by reclassifying to the 2023 Class. Had Jarin stayed in the 2024 Class, he would have been a McDonald’s All-American candidate as one of the best high school players in the country. At his size, matched with his athleticism and elite shooting ability, Jarin is special. Most importantly he is an extremely hard worker. He comes from a basketball family, and we are grateful his parents have trusted us with helping him unlock his potential to become the best young man and player he can be.”

Mohamed Wague | JR | F | 6-10 | 225 | BRONX, N.Y. (SCOTLAND CAMPUS/ WEST VIRGINIA)

• Played in 28 games before being sidelined with a foot injury on Feb. 25
• Averaged 4.1 points and 3.1 rebounds per game for the Mountaineers
• Shot 74.2 percent from the field last season
• Scored a season-high 11 points in 14 minutes against Pitt
• Recorded a double-double against Kansas State, scoring 10 points and grabbing 10 rebounds
• Named a 2022 NJCAA Division I First Team All-American at Hardum College
• Led the NJCAA in total rebounds (470) and offensive rebounds (170) in 2022

Oats on Mohamed Wague: “Mo is our latest addition and fills a huge need in the front court for us. He has competed at the highest level in the Big 12 and brings experience and toughness to our team. He was a junior college All-American and was an elite offensive rebounder and shot blocker at West Virginia. He has great timing and touch around the rim, and we are glad he is here with us. He has a great personality about him that adds to the culture we’re building here.”

Latrell Wrightsell Jr. | SR | G | 6-3 | 189 | OMAHA, Neb. (OMAHA CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL/CAL STATE FULLERTON)

• A 2023 First Team All-Big West selection
• Averaged a team-best 16.3 points per game, which ranked No. 6 in the Big West Conference
• Shot 42.4 percent from the floor and 38.3 percent from three-point range
• Ranked No. 3 in the Big West, converting 2.4 three-pointers per game
• Averaged 1.5 steals per game, which was fourth-best in the Big West
• Led Cal State Fullerton to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2022 after winning the Big West Tournament and a 2023 Championship appearance

Oats on Latrell Wrightsell Jr.: “We are excited that Latrell is joining our team. He is a tough, ultra-competitive and a physical guard who has the ability to score at all three levels and is ready for the challenges we face each night in the SEC. He has an infectious personality that his teammates love and is a joy to be around every day. We are glad he and his family are a part of ours here at Alabama.”

*** This information was acquired from a recent press release from Alabama Athletics. 

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