TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama men's basketball head coach Nate Oats announced Monday night during his pregame interview with the Crimson Tide Sports Network that Crimson Tide guards Houston Mallette and Naas Cunningham will be available for the 2024-25 season Will be redshirted.

Alabama's strength has been highly regarded throughout the college basketball world throughout the offseason, particularly at the guard position. It was inevitable that at least one player would have to redshirt.

Mallette, a 6-foot-10 senior guard, transferred to Alabama this offseason after playing consistently in all statistical categories for three years at Pepperdine. Mallette's best results came in the scoring field when he averaged 14.7 points per game on 43.1 percent shooting from the field last season, including an outstanding 41.5 percent from downtown.

Mallette had a really nice performance against Memphis as he hit all five of his attempts from three-point range and made three of them in just over 14 minutes of play. However, this time on the floor would be his last before this season.

“Houston Mallette plays a very different style than he did at Pepperdine, but he has a lot of questions he needs to address,” Oats said in a recent press conference.

The 6-foot-11 freshman is listed as a forward, but Oats often considers him a guard. In 2022, Cunningham was ranked as the top recruit in ESPN's 2024 class, but failed to achieve that status at the time of his commitment. Nonetheless, he still ranked a respectable No. 62 when he committed to Alabama.

Cunningham's size helps him shoot over defenders, but weight has been a question mark as Oats believes he lacks aggressiveness. This was a big factor in Oats' decision to redshirt him, and the Alabama head coach mentioned it was a possibility in a recent press conference.

“He needs to get stronger, he came in thin. He has a super high head, but he needs to get stronger so he can play a more physical style for us… (Due to the great depth) it would make sense.” For a guy like that (to redshirt), just because he's a lot stronger and has to get harder. As he gets physically tougher and gains 15 pounds, 6-foot-1 guards tend to shoot at the level he shoots at, but he must keep his intensity level consistent throughout practice. There are days he should be in the NBA, but he just needs to be a little more consistent.