Alabama hoops lands 7-foot center prospect TJ St. Louis

Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide have brought in a big international center recruit to bolster their frontcourt in 2026 and beyond. The Tide received a commitment from TJ St. Louis on Monday. St. Louis is a 7-foot, 265-pound Canadian basketball prospect from Fort Erie, Ontario. He has big-time potential at the college level considering his size at such a young age. He's only 18 years old. St. Louis also has a 7-foot-5 wingspan and a 9-foot-5 standing reach, according to Joe Tipton of Rivals, so he's a player who very well could crack the rotation early for the Tide. Anytime Oats needs a big-time center to clog up the middle and give Alabama some big presence down low, you can bet he's going to turn St. Louis' way. Highlights of St. Louis (: TangerSports/Grind Session) pic.twitter.com/XVVCcaRPmG St. Louis is an unranked prospect, so he's raw, but the intangibles are all there. He's tall and lanky, of course, but he has great size and broad shoulders, which will help him bang around down low in the SEC. Oats and the Tide lost Labaron Philon Jr. to the NBA Draft after he averaged 22 points and five assists last season. Guards Latrell Wrightsell Jr. and Houston Mallette are trying to work their way into the league via the undrafted route. There's going to be a lot of change to the Tide's roster next season, and St. Louis joins the cast of new faces. In the transfer portal, Oats brought in center Drew Fielder (Boise State), forward Cole Cloer (NC State), center Jamarion Davis-Fleming (Mississippi State) and center Brandon Garrison (Kentucky). St. Louis joins a 2026 recruiting class that already features four-star shooting guard Qayden Samuels, four-star forward Jaxon Richardson, four-star shooting guard Tarris Bouie and four-star point guard Anderson Diaz. Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!