TUSCALOOSA, Ala. โ The Alabama basketball team exited the transfer portal on Monday afternoon with a fourth person leaving the team for the 2023-24 season, with On3's Joe Tipton reporting that freshman Sam Walters will be headed elsewhere for next season. Reported.
A four-star freshman out of Florida State, Walters saw significant playing time in his first year of college basketball. He played 12 minutes per game and averaged 5.4 points per game in those minutes.
At 6-foot-10, Walters' biggest strength is his shooting ability. Even including a mid-year slump during which he struggled in the SEC, he shot just under 40 percent from three for the year. One of his best games was an overtime win at home against Florida, where he came off the bench and hit four threes for 14 points. The biggest blow for Walters in his first year was his defense, which forced him off the court in some big moments despite his shooting prowess.
Walters will have three years of eligibility at his next destination.
Walters joins fellow freshmen Chris Parker and Davin Cosby and sophomore Rylan Griffen in the portal, making a total of four members of the University of Alabama's 2024 Final Four team who will play for different teams next season. . Alabama has already made multiple transfer portal acquisitions so far this offseason, adding Pepperdine guard Houston Mallet and South Florida guard Chris Youngblood since the portal opened.
Alabama has one roster spot open for next season.
Check out BamaCentral's 2024-25 Alabama Basketball Roster Tracker for roster details.