Alabama Basketball Adds Key Transfer Portal Player

Alabama basketball has added one of the top three-point shooters available in the transfer portal in South Florida transfer guard/forward Chris Youngblood.

Youngblood averaged 15.3 PPG, 2.5 RPG, and 2.1 APG on 45.8% shooting from the field and 41.6% 3-point shooting (on 5 3-point attempts per game) this past season for USF. He was named co-AAC Player of the Year this year for his efforts, sharing the award with FAU's Johnell Davis. He was also a first team All-AAC selection.

The 6'4, 215 pound guard is using his "Covid year" of eligibility, and should have one year of eligibility remaining at Alabama.

On3 ranks Youngblood as the No. 23 overall player available in the transfer portal.

Youngblood began his career at Kennesaw State where he averaged 13.8 PPG and 4.5 RPG on 44.9% shooting (38.7% 3P) across 89 games in three seasons. He was a first team All-ASUN selection in his final year at Kennesaw in 2023. So far, he has career averages of 14.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, and 1.7 APG on 45.2% shooting/39.4% 3P% in 122 games across four seasons.

Youngblood was born in Tuscaloosa, but played his High School ball at East Coweta HS in Sharpsburg, GA (south of Atlanta).

He was the leading scorer for a South Florida team that won 25 games and made it to the 2nd round of the NIT this season. He also helped lead Kennesaw State to the NCAA tournament in 2023.

This is the second transfer addition of the offseason for Nate Oats Alabama, as they also added Pepperdine transfer Houston Mallette in March. Mallette was also a strong 3-point shooter this past season, shooting 41.5% from deep.

With Nate Oats 3-point heavy system, both Youngblood and Mallette feel like strong fits within Alabama's system.

Those two join three incoming Freshman in Alabama's current group of 2024 additions. The Tide signed a pair of five-star teammates from Prolific Prep in Derrion Reid and Aiden Sherrell, along with four-star Naas Cunningham.

Alabama has several players that have NBA decisions to make this offseason in Mark Sears and Grant Nelson, and have also already lost a couple players to the transfer portal themselves. The additions of Youngblood and Mallette, along with the three incoming Freshman, is a great start to adding to a program that made their first Final Four this year.