Alabama basketball hosting three 5-star recruits for Bama-Georgia football weekend

Posted by Admin September 25, 2024 Basketball

The list of special guests for the Alabama-Georgia college football weekend just got longer.

There’s a concert from former American Idol star Lauren Alaina. An appearance from presidential candidate Donald Trump. Maybe even a visit from Kirk Herbstreit’s dog, Bud, alongside the College GameDay crew.

Per reports from On3, three sought-after Alabama basketball recruits will touch down in Tuscaloosa, too.

Coach Nate Oats is set to welcome five-star Class of 2025 prospects AJ Dybantsa, Meleek Thomas and Brayden Burries in hopes of swaying the trio toward the Crimson Tide.

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Say hello! Meet Emilee Smarr, the new Alabama basketball reporter for The Tuscaloosa News

As it stands, Alabama’s 2025 basketball recruiting class ranks No. 4 in the country, and that’s with just two four-stars in small forward Amari Allen and power forward London Jemison.

Should T-Town win over the likes of Dybantsa, the No. 1 recruit in the country, or top 15 studs Thomas and Burries, Alabama’s 2025 recruiting class will be closer to No. 1, bragging rights that Alabama’s 2024 class came just one spot shy of.

5-star basketball recruits in Tuscaloosa for Alabama-Georgia weekend

The race to lock down this group is tight — and that’s a bit of an understatement.

Alabama has to compete with Auburn, BYU, Baylor, Kansas, Kansas State and North Carolina to seal the deal on Dybantsa, a small forward and projected first-round pick billed at 6-foot-9, 210 pounds,.

Thomas, a shooting guard whose ability to drain shots outweighs a standard 6-3 frame, is eyeing programs like Arkansas, Auburn, Pitt, UConn and Kansas State, among others.

As for Burries, known for his versatility around the court and the power he brings to an offense, his commitment will require beating out Duke, Kentucky, Oregon, SMU, Tennessee, SMU and USC, just to name a few. However, the tide could shift after the No. 2-ranked corner guard in the country arrives in Tuscaloosa on Thursday.

After all, Dybantsa and Thomas, who will get to campus on Friday and Saturday, respectively, took their inaugural official visits to Alabama this time last year.

Now, they’re back for Round 2.

Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.