Alabama secured a huge recruiting victory just in time for Christmas on Friday as five-star forward Derrion Reid, the top prospect in California in the Class of 2024, chose the Tide in a high-stakes recruitment that involved a number of interested suitors. Reid, a Georgia native who plays for Prolific Prep in Napa, chose Alabama and coach Nate Oats' program over home-state Georgia and Florida State, both of which secured visits from him but were unable to close the deal.
Reid's commitment launched Alabama from No. 23 in the 247Sports Team Rankings for 2024 to No. 7, sandwiched between two basketball powerhouses in North Carolina and Kansas inside the top 10. The ranking puts Bama fourth among SEC schools for the 2024 cycle, though, with Kentucky, Missouri and soon-to-be SEC foe Texas holding the current No. 2, No. 4 and No. 5 classes.
Standing at 6-foot-7, Reid over the course of the last year ranked as low as No. 76 in the 2024 class before surging all the way up to No. 17 in his class behind a stellar summer. Adam Finkelstein, 247Sports' Director of Scouting, noted this summer that his versatility was a huge reason for his rise to the elite level:
Reid established himself as one of the more versatile forwards in the country this year. He plays with an aggressive scoring mentality and is a threat from various spots on the floor. He's probably most comfortable in the mid-post area, or with similar elbow isos. He has very good footwork and loves to face-up after starting with his back to the basket. He goes right into contact and can play through it, but is also a threat to pull-up over top of contesting defenders in the mid-range area. There are flashes of having a very multi-dimensional attack though. He has touch and rotation to keep developing behind the arc, despite not yet being a high-volume threat and spraying some misses when he's out of rhythm (14-35 through 21 EYBL games, 40%). He similarly doesn't look to attack off a live dribble very often, but can show flashes of a crossover and playmaking ability in the open floor. There are even occasional glimpses of passing creativity, although he recorded a flat assist-to-turnover ratio in the EYBL (45 of each through 21 games). There's similar versatility on the defensive end where he moves his feet, utilizes his length, hedges ball-screens well, and can bang with bigger players inside. He's a quality pound-for-pound rebounder and good vertical athlete, known for some explosive put-back dunks. He has an already sturdy frame that should support plenty more muscle mass when he gets to the next level. Overall, he's a versatile, scoring combo-forward, who approaches the game like more of a four at this point, but moves well enough to eventually develop into more of a big wing.
Reid joins a top-10 recruiting class as its crown jewel in 2024 and the highest-ranked prospect and tied for the second-highest basketball commit in 247Sports ranking history. His 98 overall rating ties him with former Bama stars Brandon Miller and JD Davison and just behind Collin Sexton, who had a perfect 100 rating in the Class of 2017.
