Top 3 players Nate Oats' Alabama lost heading into 2024-25 season

Coach Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide had a historic season run that culminated in a run to the Final Four. This was the program's first time in the semifinals, surpassing their previous best performance in the Elite Eight back in 2004.

Despite a great year that exceeded most expectations set on the team, Coach Oats lost two of his starting five and a few others to the transfer portal, NBA draft, and college eligibility. Here are the top 3:

3 players Nate Oats' Alabama lost heading into the 2024-25 season

#1 Aaron Estrada

Fifth-year senior Aaron Estrada averaged 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.6 steals in 31.0 minutes of game time. As the most experienced player on the Alabama roster, the 23-year-old played a crucial role in leading and mentoring the five freshmen who joined the team in 2023.

Having exhausted his college eligibility, Estrada has received an invite to the G League Elite Camp. From there, he could either be drafted into the NBA or continue playing for one of the G-league teams.

#2 Rylan Griffen

After averaging 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists in his sophomore year at Alabama, Rylan Griffen entered the transfer portal. He has since signed to play with the Kansas Jayhawks, with two years of college eligibility. The guard was a solid shooter, as he made 45.4% of his shots from the field and 39.2% from the three-point range.

Explaining the reasons behind his transfer, Rylan Griffen said:

"I came here to be pushed and learn from coach (Bill) Self. He has a great track record. He’s a winner and that’s something that I still want to do at the highest level. (via The Kansas City Star)

"I came here so all of my coaches can push me and help make me the best player that I can be and keep growing and learning. It’s a basketball school, so just seeing all the players here before me, I want to live the same life they did.”

#3 Nick Pringle

After spending two seasons with Alabama, Nick Pringle is returning to his home state to play his final year of college eligibility with the South Carolina Gamecocks. In his senior season, the forward averaged 6.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 0.7 assists, shooting 62.3% from the floor.

Pringle started in 16 of the 34 games he played and saw an average of 18.2 minutes of game time. This was a jump from his junior season, where he played just 8.1 minutes. Before coming to Alabama, Nick Pringle spent his freshman year at Wofford before transferring to junior college.