Alabama Basketball: Meet the new guys: Chris Youngblood

So far, Alabama has welcomed two new players to the roster with ties to the state. But person gets more of a homecoming than grad transfer Chris Youngblood.

The 6’4” shooter took a tortuous path back to his hometown of Tuscaloosa. After graduating from East Coweta (GA), the three-star forward attracted little attention (no Power 5 program was offered to him, nor any traditional Mid or Low-Major power program). So the Youngblood jumped at the first offer that arrived in his mailbox, packed up the car and drove two hours north to Atlanta to play for the Kennesaw State Owls.

Chris hasn’t had a big growth spurt since he was 16, but gaining 20 pounds over the years and working through a profound stroke has paid off for his work at Kennesaw and at USF: he is a scorer. That’s all he does. And in both Midmajor programs, he was THE scorer.

At KSU, Youngblood was the truth. He made the ASUN All-Freshman team and was a two-time selection to the A-Sun All-First team. He set the Owl career scoring record with just under 1,300 points and averaged nearly 15 per game over three years. He really made his name known during KSU’s appearance in the 2023 tournament…well, even by leading them to one. It was the Owls’ first appearance, and once they got in, KSU gave Xavier 3-Seed everything they could want. Youngblood led the Owls in scoring, three-pointers made and minutes played.

His production at KSU caught the attention of USF and Youngblood jumped at the chance to play ball in the AAC. The rise in competition didn’t bother him either. On the contrary, it has become even better. Chris averaged 42% from the perimeter, shot 46% from the field, led the Bulls in scoring…and along the way, led USF to its first World Cup tournament appearance. NCAA in 30 years and to a very first conference title (it’s becoming a habit with this guy). He was selected to the All-AAC first team and was a finalist for Midmajor Player of the Year.

Now, Youngblood has brought his talents to Tuscaloosa, where he has a clear mandate: shoot.

That’s it. Just shoot. Youngblood is an exceptional perimeter player, and he is bound to throw it, to the Sam Walters. But he is SO much better and a much more complete player.

What stands out from his earlier playing career is his consistency as a scorer in high school and both colleges, averaging 15-16 per game. He has also been very consistent hitting the glass (around 5 par) and distributing (2-3 APG). But the latter production actually declined due to better competition in the AAC. So Chris will need to continue to work on that aspect of his game, as well as work harder on the defensive side.

But his skills on the field came straight out of the Nate Oats mold. Youngblood is the best in terms of tempo and movements very well without the ball, including at the break. He has the length to shoot over defenders, is a catch-and-shoot player, and also has the size and physicality to be an aggressive scorer inside the paint. Aggression is also a hallmark of Youngblood. He’s a scorer, but he also has the court vision and nice handles to get the ball to cutting players or find someone else for a better look.

At USF and Kennesaw, Youngblood was a SF, but he was moved to second with the Tide. It’s probably the best place for him too. He doesn’t have SEC size at the forward position, but alongside Wrightsell, he forms one half of a very formidable veteran shooting guard position.

He doesn’t take control of the games, no. But like Estrada, he’s an attention-grabbing player and he had 18-20 points. Just an embarrassment of riches for Alabama, and the Tide are fortunate to have a shooter of this caliber, after losing three of the five best perimeter players late in the season. You can see him and Wrightsell splitting time, depending on who has the hot hand that night or who starts as the third guard in ‘Bama’s small lineup.

Welcome (back) to Tuscaloosa, Chris
Rolling tide