Nate Oats updates progress of redshirt freshman Naas Cunningham
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Addressing the media after speaking with the Birmingham Tip Off Club on Monday afternoon, Alabama head coach Nate Oats gave on update on redshirting freshman Naas Cunningham and his development.
“Naas got a little sick, he got a little hurt himself. I think he’s trying to gain the weight back that he had gained, that he then lost,” Oats said. “I think, look, he’s got to gain weight at some point. That’s number one. We’re trying to get him to gain weight again. He shows explosiveness at times. He’s got to get a motor, a sense of urgency, if you will. When he’s at his peak, it’s like he should be an NBA player. Can we get that every time, or a lot more consistent than what it is? It’s hard for me to say right now just because he’s been out with illness and injuries so much.
“Right now we’re just trying to get him to continue to gain weight, he kind of lost a lot of what he gained when he got sick.”
Cunningham is listed at 6-foot-7 and 175 pounds on the official Alabama roster. He was a 4-star and a top-50 recruit in the 2024 recruiting cycle, but the lowest-rated member of Alabama’s highly-ranked signing class. It was decided before the first game that Cunningham would redshirt this season, with Oats citing his need to put on more weight as the primary reason before he can compete at an SEC level.
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Appearing in both of Alabama’s charity exhibition games before the season started, Cunningham scored three points against Wake Forest and went scoreless against Memphis.
Cunningham will still have four years of eligibility remaining starting in 2025-26.
“He’s a great kid, I love him. His teammates love him,” Oats said. “Just to get him to get stronger, more consistent with his – his upside’s got to show up a lot more consistently.”
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