Chase Lumpkin has committed to Alabama. The Class of 2027 shooting guard from McEachern High School in Georgia announced his choice following an official visit, according to Ross Van De Griek's September 9 report for On The Radar Hoops.
Van De Griek identifies Lumpkin as Nate Oats' first commitment in the new recruiting cycle. For a guard choosing Alabama, the obvious attraction on the court is room to attack. The less obvious demand is knowing when to give that room to someone else.
Alabama has moved further beyond the arc
Alabama's official team totals show how much of its offense is built around the perimeter. In the published 2024-25 figures, 1,104 of 2,371 field-goal attempts were threes. In 2025-26, the totals were 1,229 of 2,254.
That works out to 46.6% and 54.5% of all field-goal attempts, respectively. Those are CBR calculations from the linked season totals, rounded to one decimal place. They measure shot selection, not accuracy.
| Season | Three-point attempts | Share of all shots |
|---|---|---|
| 2024-25 | 1,104 | 46.6% |
| 2025-26 | 1,229 | 54.5% |
The change is larger than a few extra attempts on a hot night. More than half of the shots in the later totals came from outside the arc. That is the environment a new guard has to understand. It creates opportunities for shooters, but somebody still has to make the defense move before the pass arrives.
The useful part of Lumpkin's scouting report
Van De Griek describes a guard who can advance the ball in transition, create his own shot against tight coverage and find teammates. That is his evaluation, not a claim that CBR has independently graded Lumpkin's film.
It is also the more interesting fit argument than simply calling him a shooter. A perimeter offense needs a player who can turn a defender's rushed closeout into a drive, then recognize whether help has opened a pass or whether the lane is still there.
Picture a guard catching on the wing with a defender sprinting toward him. If he drives and draws the next defender, the weak-side shooter may now have the better opportunity. If nobody helps, he can continue toward the basket. The three-point threat matters on both possessions, including the one that ends inside.
That is the decision I would follow with Lumpkin. Creating a difficult shot for yourself and creating an easier one for a teammate are different solutions. Alabama's recent shot distribution makes the second especially valuable.
A fit argument, not a September depth chart
This commitment belongs to the 2027 class. The numbers above describe Alabama teams from 2024-25 and 2025-26. They do not establish Lumpkin's eventual teammates, minutes or shooting percentage in college.
My call: I like the fit because the reported playmaking gives Alabama more to work with than a spot-up role. The next question is how consistently Lumpkin can read the help defender and keep the advantage moving. That will tell us more than the position label on his recruiting page.
For another look at how a commitment meets a program's demands, read Chalk Talk on Houston's Davis and Daniels additions. Follow the wider class on CBR's 2027 rankings.
