Raymond Hawkins, a 4-star center in the 2019 recruiting class, has committed to Alabama.
Hawkins announced his commitment via Instagram on Saturday night, and it wasn’t surprising at all to see him choose the Crimson Tide.
New Alabama head coach Nate Oats offered Hawkins shortly after making the move to Tuscaloosa, as he had already been pursuing him while at Buffalo.
2019 big man Raymond Hawkins just committed to Alabamahttps://t.co/H8TMvDHGhw pic.twitter.com/7IaSmxplML
— Corey Evans (@coreyevans_10) March 31, 2019
Hawkins, who attends Findlay Prep (NV), is rated as the No. 2 player in Nevada and No. 88 player overall in the 2019 class, according to 247Sports.
He joins 4-star prospects Juwan Gary, Jaylen Forbes, and Jaden Shackelford in next year’s class, but it’s unknown if there will be any changes to that group given the new staff.
Lovell’s Analysis
Oats has quickly made some significant moves when it comes to Alabama’s roster.
He was able to talk John Petty into staying after the sophomore entered the transfer portal, and now Oats has snagged his first key piece of the puzzle for next season while also making a recent offer to 4-star guard Harlond Beverly.
Oats has met with prized recruit Trendon Watford as well, and landing him would quiet any concerns that people have about the staff’s ability to bring in top-tier SEC prospects.
With Donta Hall graduating and Daniel Giddens expected to transfer, the addition of the 6-9 Hawkins gives the Tide a strong inside presence who will be able to use his size and athleticism to alter the game on both sides of the court.
Of course, the biggest priority for Oats and company at this point is trying to convince point guard Kira Lewis to return after he also decided to enter the transfer portal.
Lewis has received plenty of interest from schools around the country, but he is the type of player who would thrive within Oats’ up-tempo style of play.
Either way, Oats is already having success on the recruiting front by landing Hawkins, and that should give Alabama fans plenty of optimism moving forward.
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.