Father of Alabama transfer commit goes in-depth on decision
In this day and age of basketball rosters constantly changing as a result of the NCAA Transfer Portal, the Alabama Crimson Tide have been able to handle roster attrition with exceptional results.
On Saturday, Alabama once again landed one of the top available players in the portal. Chris Youngblood, a grad transfer from USF, committed to the Tide during a weekend visit with Nate Oats and Company. Youngblood spent three years at Kennesaw State before heading to USF for the 2023-2024 season, and will have a year of eligibility remaining (COVID year).
Youngblood was accompanied by his parents, Dupree and LaDonna, on his visit to Alabama. The Tuscaloosa native is the No. 23 overall player available in the portal, per On3’s rankings.
His father spoke in-depth about why Bama came out on top, their thoughts on Oats, how their time on campus went, and more.
“Just a better system. Just fits him better,” Mr. Youngblood told BamaOnLine of his son’s decision. “The offense and the style of play. His goal is to get to the NBA. They run a lot of NBA sets and they can prepare him better for that. That was kind of the main reason.”
Youngblood entered the Transfer Portal earlier this week on Monday. He was contacted by over 40 programs after entering the portal, with those including Creighton, Florida State, Louisville, Miami, Michigan, Ole Miss, Ohio State, South Carolina, and Texas.
The list of criteria that the family made for his next stop was met by the Crimson Tide.
“We kind of looked at some schools. What offense — really an NBA-style offense — would be good for Christopher,” Mr. Youngblood said. “What fits him best. His shooting style. What would allow him to handle the ball more and come off ball screens. We were very detailed about what we wanted. Alabama was at the top of the list so when they called — it was not because they were Alabama — it was that they were the best fit for him.
“I know it sounds crazy and I’m happy it was Alabama,” Mr. Youngblood added. “But, trust me, if Alabama sucked, they weren’t winning games, and they didn’t run the type of offense that Christopher liked, he probably wouldn’t be there.”
This weekend’s visit to Alabama replaced a previously scheduled trip to Louisville. A Zoom call with Oats on Thursday led to Bama getting a Friday through Sunday visit from Youngblood. Other trips were set up, but those have now been canceled.
“We were supposed to visit Creighton Tuesday and Wednesday, I think,” Mr. Youngblood said. “We were going to try to squeeze Miami and Florida State in there. Baylor made a last big push, but it was kind of too late. Baylor was, ironically, the No. 2 school on our list.”
Alabama HC Nate Oats was the difference maker in Chris Youngblood’s recruitment
Zoom calls became a common form of communication when visits were restricted due to the monthslong dead period caused by the pandemic.
They’ve continued to become vital in recruiting nowadays, and the importance of Thursday’s call with Oats cannot be understated. That conversation with Oats paved the way for Alabama to land Youngblood’s commitment just two days later.
“I think before he started it, he was probably about 80 percent sure because of the Zoom call,” Mr. Youngblood said. “It was a two-hour Zoom call. Nate Oats was very detailed about the offense, what part he’d play in it, and showed him how the season went. What improvements need to be made.”
Part of the reason why the Louisville visit got replaced was due to the lack of details and information provided to them earlier this week. Meanwhile, Oats went as in-depth as possible with the family during their initial conversation.
“It’s a game-changer,” Mr. Youngblood said of Oats’ attention to detail. “He’s very detailed. As I mentioned to you, he’s a student of the game. He loves it. I really think he could talk all night about basketball. He could go on and on. He was very intentional and very detailed.”
Chris Youngblood during his Friday workout at Alabama. (Photo courtesy of Dupree Youngblood)
Interestingly enough, it was a workout — helmed by assistant Preston Murphy — that put Bama over the top for Youngblood.
“And then when he got there… in a weird way, he had a workout. The workout kind of did it for him. He liked the workout,” Mr. Youngblood said. “They just ran through different sets. I think he liked the fast pace, the transition plays, the decision-making. I think it was more of that, probably.”
Murphy led Friday’s workout with Youngblood, and was their point of contact in this week’s brief, yet jam-packed recruiting process.
Youngblood’s father had nothing but praise for Murphy and how he handled communication with everyone involved.
“Coach Murphy is a great recruiter,” Mr. Youngblood said. “He was the first one to reach out. He was the main guy [this weekend]. He’s a former player, so you can just tell his knowledge of the game. Most of the time during this recruiting process, some people can be overkill. Coach Murphy kept it simple, in my opinion… he wasn’t too overbearing, and that kind of means a lot.”
This weekend’s visit included the aforementioned workout, time with the academic department, dinner with the staff on Friday night, attending A-Day Game, and much more.
Dupree Youngblood shared his overall takeaways following this visit with the Crimson Tide.
“Just a great culture,” Mr. Youngblood said. “It’s very intentional. It’s not just happenstance that they’re really good. They work hard. They’re very detailed, all the way down to the analytics of the game.”
It “means a lot” for Bama to be Youngblood’s final stop
Alabama has picked up Youngblood and Pepperdine guard Houston Mallette via the Transfer Portal so far. They’ve also seen the departures of Davin Cosby and Rylan Griffen to this point.
Youngblood’s father dished out his take on the potential of Alabama’s roster next season.
“I think if they can maybe get a good rim protector and pick up another good player, I would say they have a very good chance of winning the national championship,” Mr. Youngblood said. “I may seem biased, but I really believe. Believe it’s very possible.
“It’s just the offense. If [Mark] Sears comes back and some things happen… I know they lost some kids, but I think he picked up some good pieces, in my opinion. One of them being my son [laughing].”
This past season, Youngblood led USF with 15.3 points per game while shooting 41.6 percent from three-point range. In three consecutive seasons with at least 30 games played per year, Youngblood has shot over 40 percent from distance.
Even though he already shoots at a high percentage, his shooting from distance can be taken to another level, according to his father.
“He’s a great shooter,” Mr. Youngblood said. “I think, honestly, once he gets in Nate Oats’ system, I think he’ll become a better shooter… I know my son, I just think the world is going to be shocked. People have heard whispers of Christopher Youngblood, but I think he’s going to go to a whole other level now. I’m about 99.9 percent sure.”
Youngblood’s father is from Tuscaloosa, while his mother is from Mobile and attended the University of Alabama. This is a homecoming of sorts for the elite three-point shooter, and Youngblood’s father could not be any happier with his son’s final landing spot in college.
“It means a lot,” Mr. Youngblood said. “You’ve got family and friends here. Just to go into Coleman Coliseum, a place I used to take Christopher to watch games. A place I saw LaDonna walk across the floor, I walked across the floor. It’s surreal. It’s amazing, actually. It is a wonderful thing. I don’t think it has fully registered yet.
“Just to come back here, sit in Coleman Coliseum, and know that a lot of family and friends are watching him play and supporting him, it’s going to be awesome.”
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