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Jeff Borzello
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Jeff Borzello
ESPN Staff Writer
- Basketball recruiting insider.
- Joined ESPN in 2014.
- Graduate of University of Delaware.
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Paul Biancardi
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Paul Biancardi
Basketball Recruiting
- National Recruiting Director for ESPN.com
- 18 years of coaching experience at Division I level
- Former Horizon League coach of the year at Wright State
Top-10 senior Derrion Reid, one of the top uncommitted college basketball prospects in the Class of 2024, has announced his commitment to Alabama.
Reid chose the Crimson Tide over Georgia and Florida State, giving coach Nate Oats his fourth five-star recruit in the past four recruiting classes.
“I love their play style and the coaches,” Reid told ESPN. “Coach Oats gets his players better. I believe I can make an immediate impact and get better in all aspects of my game so I can get to the league. Coach Oats is a great person to be around and learn from.”
It was a fluid recruitment, with Georgia and Alabama going back-and-forth as the perceived leader for most of the fall. Reid was slated to commit in late October but delayed it hours before his scheduled announcement. He told ESPN the delay was because of “family situations” and said he wanted to be in his home city of Augusta, Georgia, to announce his decision.
A 6-foot-7 forward who plays at Prolific Prep in California, Reid vaulted into the top 10 nationally after a terrific spring and summer with Team Thad on the Nike EYBL circuit. He averaged 17.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 21 games, shooting better than 60% inside the arc and making 14 3-pointers at a 40% clip. Reid had six games of 20 or more points during that stretch, capping it with a 23-point, 13-rebound effort in front of college coaches against Team Durant at the Nike Peach Jam.
With versatility and productivity atop his list of strengths, Reid does a great job using his frame. He has become a triple-threat player, and his 3-point shot is a major tool. He scores best as a driver and finisher, especially taking defenders off the bounce. He is effective and comfortable as a midpost player, operating and facing up from short range, but he is capable of playing on the perimeter or above the rim as a lob threat. Defensively, he moves his feet well and works to contain the ball, contest shots and finish on the glass.
Alabama now has three top-50 recruits in the 2024 class, with Reid joining center Aiden Sherrell and small forward Naasir Cunningham, both of whom signed with the Crimson Tide in the fall.