re: Tide Hoops | Recruiting

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Top-50 senior Ty Rodgers begins his official visit to Michigan State later this evening, he told @Stockrisers. Safe to say, this is a huge visitor for Tom Izzo and the Spartans. They had an in-home visit on Sept. 22.

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Jaden Bradley, No. 1-ranked point guard in 2022 class, commits to Alabama

Jaden Bradley, the top-ranked point guard in the 2022 class, committed to Alabama on Thursday, giving coach Nate Oats a five-star commitment for the second straight year.

Bradley chose the Crimson Tide over Arizona, Florida State and Gonzaga.

"Coach Oats is a relatable guy and has been invested in helping his players get to the next level," Bradley told ESPN. "He is a fun guy to be around, but when practice starts, he has that switch to change his focus. They have a great staff. All the coaches took the time to get to know me and my family. That was important. It is a family culture there. It will be like another home for me."

Alabama was viewed as the favorite for Bradley for most of the past couple of months, and on his trip to Tuscaloosa, he met Alabama football coach Nick Saban.

"He was a funny guy. He likes Coach Oats and said Alabama has a culture of winning in all sports," Bradley said. "That it's not just a football school. He also shared his meeting with Kobe Bryant and how they picked each other's brains. He was humble with all of his success and took time before his practice to be with us."

The Crimson Tide have been one of the more entertaining offenses since Oats took over in 2019. They've played one of the fastest tempos in the country the past two seasons and ranked in the top 20 nationally both seasons in 3-point attempt rate.

"They play a fast-break style and it is guard-heavy," Bradley said. "They play multiple pick-and-roll games and some five-out when they have big men that can shoot. I like how they keep the floor open. The plan is to come in right away and help them win."

A 6-foot-2 point guard who plays at IMG Academy (Florida), Bradley is the No. 1 point guard in the 2022 class and is No. 8 overall in the ESPN 100. He was highly productive on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer, averaging 17.6 points, 6.2 rebounds and 6.1 assists in 11 games with the CP3 All-Stars.

As a point guard with the ball in his hands, he is a high-level decision-maker. Bradley excels at advancing the ball in transition, displaying impressive vision and passing acumen. Starting with the defensive rebound, he will push the ball at every opportunity with direct straight-line speed and will utilize the hit-ahead pass when teammates are running. His mid-level jumper is crisp and clean and he knocks it down with regularity. Bradley gets into the paint consistently and can finish on his own or give a lob or drop-off pass to a teammate for an easy basket. Two areas of improvement for Bradley are his 3-point shot and floater.

Bradley is the first commitment for Oats in 2022. For the second straight year, Alabama has a five-star prospect, following J.D. Davison's decision in the 2021 class. The Crimson Tide are far from finished, however. They're heavily in the mix for five-star forwards Brandon Miller and Jarace Walker, and they also recently hosted ESPN 100 forward Noah Clowney.

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