Three things to know about surprise addition to Alabama basketball 2026-27 roster

Alabama basketball assistant coach Preston Murphy foreshadowed the news to come on Tuesday, July 7 one night earlier when he posted a video to social media.

The recruiting mastermind shared a short cartoon depicting an animated version of himself on the way to the Crimson Tide's new practice facility, where one last player arrived asking if there was room for one more on the 2026-27 roster.

In reality, there was a spot, and 4-star guard Anderson Diaz is set to fill it, per Alabama's NIL collective.

Diaz is set to reclassify from the 2027 recruiting class to 2026, which will allow the Overtime Elite star to join the Crimson Tide a year early. He first committed to Alabama on May 21.

Here are three things to know about Diaz.

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Crimson Tide picks up southpaw guard in Anderson Diaz

The left-hander is listed at 6-foot-1, 180 pounds by 247Sports. The recruiting service lists him as the No. 6 point guard in his class and the No. 50 player in the country.

Alabama revives New York flair on roster

Before making his final transfer to Overtime Elite in Georgia, the Bronx native was a student at Lawrence Woodmere Academy in New York, which closed at the end of his sophomore year and left him in search of a new high school.

Diaz shined on grassroots circuit early

The summer after his freshman year, Diaz hoisted a championship with Kips Bay on the MADE Hoops Circuit. The Mustangs won the 15U title with Diaz, a three-level scorer, as their lead guard.

His stock rose leading up to his final varsity season at OTE with the Cold Hearts. He averaged 17.2 points, 6.9 assists and 4.9 boards per game while shooting 43% from the field and 30% from three-point range.

Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for The Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Three things to know about surprise addition to Alabama basketball 2026-27 roster