All the pieces fit

In partnership with

Good morning! Today’s Daily is written by Mike Miller. Follow him on Twitter/X.com at MikeMillerF68.

Let’s get to the news.

The Business Brief Executives Actually Trust

In a world of sensational headlines and shallow analysis, The Daily Upside stands apart. Founded by former bankers and seasoned journalists, it delivers crisp, actionable insights executives actually use to make smarter decisions.

From market-moving developments to deep dives on business trends, The Daily Upside gives leaders clarity on what matters — without the noise.

That’s why over 1 million readers, including C-suite executives and senior decision-makers, start their day with it.

No fluff. No spin. Just business clarity.

Subscribe free.

1. Alabama’s got a loaded backcourt. Its frontcourt …

“Give the money to Nate Oats,” was a predictable refrain from Alabama fans after the Tide lost a football season opener for the first time since 2001.

They might have a point.

Oats is 145-63 in six seasons at Alabama, and 84-27 over the last three seasons. He’s won the SEC regular-season and conference tournament twice, been to two Sweet 16s, an Elite Eight and took the Tide to the school’s first-ever Final Four in 2024.

This season? Alabama’s expected to contend for yet another SEC title, but it’ll do so with a mix of experienced guards (Latrell Wrightsell and Houston Mallette), plus a couple of on-ball creators in SEC POY candidate Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway. It also has Miami transfer Jalil Bethea.

On top of that Wrightsell, Alabama’s top perimeter defender, has yet to fully recover from a Achilles tendon tear last November. He’s been doing “some basketball activities,” and could be ready for the start of the season. But nothing’s official.

As for the frontcourt, it’s a roster largely made up of incoming freshmen and mostly untested forwards. Could all that have been better assembled in the portal?

Aiden Sherrell, a 6-10 sophomore who entered Tuscaloosa as a 4-star prospect and played under 10 minutes a game last season, is expected to start. Whether he makes a jump in production is TBD.

The other forward should be Florida State transfer Taylor Bol Bowen, a multi-positional defender who can hit 3s (41.4% last season), but he’s rail thin and not a great rebounder. Tarleton State transfer Keitenn Bristow, a 6-10 sophomore, should see some time as a pick-and-roll option, while Bucknell transfer Noah Williamson was the 2025 Patriot League POY, but there are concerns about his athleticism translating to the SEC.

There are also three incoming freshmen in London Jemison, Davion Hannah and Amari Allen, but they’re all wings.

So is Oats counting on a mix of player development — few staffs have been drained like his the last few years — and improvements from a couple of players to lead the way? One wonders if some of the football NIL could’ve been spent on a another frontcourt piece, or to retain Jarin Stevenson.

Oats’ track record can’t be ignored. He knows how to assemble a team and how to fit the pieces together. When the Tide added Cliff Omoruyi last season, he looked to be a frontcourt mainstay, but was more of a piece of the frontcourt. Maybe Oats realized that all he needs are pieces.

2. ‘Noles nab third 2026 commitment

Know who has the top 2026 recruiting class thus far? Florida State.

Subscribe to Premium to read the rest.