Alabama guard John Petty and center Daniel Giddens have entered the NCAA transfer portal, The Tuscaloosa News has learned.
They could be the third and fourth Alabama players to transfer from the program following the end of the season and the departure of head coach Avery Johnson, should they choose to leave. Point guard Kira Lewis Jr. has also entered the transfer portal, and Dazon Ingram announced his intentions to play his fifth year at another school as a graduate transfer.
Players who put their name in the NCAA transfer portal can be contacted by other coaches and explore transfer options, but it does not necessarily mean they will transfer. Players have the option to remove their name from the transfer portal.
Losing all four would leave Alabama with six returning scholarship players for the 2019-20 season. Two of those six — Diante Wood and Javian Fleming-Davis — redshirted during the 2018-19 season as freshmen. Alabama currently has three signees in its 2019 class and could add more.
Ingram and Giddens would both be graduate transfers and eligible to play immediately. Both participated in Senior Day ceremonies and were expected to explore transfer opportunities regardless of whether Johnson returned.
Lewis and Petty would have to sit a season out or be granted a waiver to be eligible immediately. Alabama officials remain hopeful that they will meet with the new coach.
Petty was second on the team in minutes and third on the team with 10.2 points per game in 2018-19. He also averaged 4.2 rebounds per game and was the Crimson Tide’s top three-point shooter, shooting 34.5 percent on 171 attempts.
Giddens has been a reserve in the post for Alabama in the last two seasons. He played in 14 games for the Crimson Tide as a redshirt junior in 2018-19, averaging 1.9 points and 1.9 rebounds per game.
