It took Alabama a little while to break through with the 2020 basketball recruiting class. When the Crimson Tide finally did strike Sunday, the new member of their class resonated.
Four-star forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton, one of the top prospects in Canada at Toronto’s Andrews Osborne Academy, committed to Alabama from among a final five that also included North Carolina State, USC, Arkansas and Dayton. The Tide stuck out from that list because of the commitment they made to recruiting Ambrose-Hylton and building a genuine relationship with him, per the guard.
“Coach Bryan [Hodgson] is a great guy,” Ambrose-Hylton told 247Sports. “When he first came to the gym he was looking at Charles [Bediako] and then he saw me play and offered me immediately. Since then it’s been a real relationship.”
“They’ve been to a lot of my games and I enjoyed my visit with them. I enjoy the coaching staff a lot, hanging out laughing and not just about basketball, I just have a great time being there.”
Another key factor that drew Ambrose-Hylton to Alabama? His hopeful transition to guard in college. While the Canadian currently plays predominantly as a power forward, he said the Crimson Tide coaching staff presented him with a plan to transition his skills into a more guard-focused package.
Success there could pave the way to the next level, which made Ambrose-Hylton’s decision far easier.
“They said how they see my game thoroughly and see my numbers and think they can develop me into a guard,” Ambrose-Hylton told 247Sports. “They really love the way I play. Their playing style really fits me and what I can become.”
