AL has acquired a five-star forward. Reid Derrion
Nate Oats and Alabama picked up an early Christmas present on Friday when five-star forward Derrion Reid announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide.
A 6-foot-7 forward from Georgia who is playing his senior season at Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep, Reid ranks No. 17 nationally and made things official while home for Christmas break.
“I just felt like it was the best fit for me,” Reid told 247Sports. “I like the play style and seeing how coach develops his players.”
One of the more athletic frontcourt players in the class of 2024, Reid has significantly improved his all-around game over the last year and had a terrific summer in the Nike EYBL with Team Thad. He finishes lobs, drives aggressively to the rim and is a dangerous shooter. At Alabama, he’s just trying to be a good two-way player while hopefully preparing himself to eventually make another jump in level of play.
“I just want to be a great player on both sides of the ball and get ready to get to the next level and have a great season.”
Reid is the third member of the class of 2024 to pick Alabama. He joins high school teammate Aidan Sherrell and wing Naas Cunningham — both four-star prospects — in a class that will now move to No. 7 in the industry generated Composite Team Rankings.
Earlier this week, Reid said he was very much looking forward to getting the process over with so that he can channel all of his energy into preparing for next season.
“I will be stress free, locked in on getting better and just focusing on one college and getting ready for next year.”
247Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein provides this scouting report of Reid.
“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.”
