A former Alabama basketball player who was a member of the Crimson Tide's 2023-24 run to the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament has entered the transfer portal for the second straight year.
Forward Sam Walters, a reserve player on Alabama's 2023-24 team, reentered the transfer portal on Monday after spending 2024-25 with Michigan Wolverines under coach Dusty May. On3's Pete Nakos first reported the news.
Walters averaged 12.3 minutes a night during his freshman season at Alabama, which saw Nate Oats' team beat No. 1 seed North Carolina in the Sweet 16 and No. 6 seed Clemson in the Elite Eight before falling to the national champion UConn Huskies in the Final Four. He averaged 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game and shot 42.7 percent from the field in 37 games (no starts).
Walters scored 15 points in the Crimson Tide's 87-74 loss to then-No. 4 Arizona on Dec. 22, 2023 in Phoenix. He had 14 points and four 3-pointers in the Tide's 98-93 overtime victory over the Florida Gators at Coleman Coliseum on Feb. 21.
After transferring from Alabama, Walters played in 23 games this past season. He suffered a lower back injury and played his last game on Feb. 4. Walters averaged 12.7 minutes, five points and 1.6 rebounds per game at Michigan, which finished 27-10 and reached the NCAA Tournament as a No. 5 seed. The Wolverines lost, 78-65, to No. 1 seed Auburn in the Sweet 16 last Friday in Atlanta.
Walters, a 4-star recruit out of The Villages Charter School in Florida, committed to Alabama in 2023. He was the first player in Oats' 2023 class to commit to Alabama and was ranked the No. 68 overall recruit by On3 and No. 86 overall by 247Sports.
NEW: Michigan forward Sam Walters has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, @PeteNakos_ reports.
— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal_) March 31, 2025
The former Alabama transfer averaged 5 points per game this season.https://t.co/2lu1SWaosNpic.twitter.com/xrGc8IgD9l
Walters joins former Alabama standout Rylan Griffen in the transfer portal. Griffen also entered the portal Monday.
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