Some of you need to put Spears being on scholarship at Bama in perspective. Spears was placed on a scholarship for his last semester at Bama. Again, nothing against the young but he was given the last scholarship on the team when Bama didn't sign a player at mid year. The same scholarship was almost awarded to senior walk on instead of Spear. I believe the Bama coach is friends with our AD.
"Alabama basketball sophomore guard Kai Spears is a walk-on no more. Spears was offered a scholarship on Thursday sources tell BamaCentral.
Spears is in his second year with the program. He has appeared in seven games this season with six total points. The guard made his first career field goal in the 111-67 victory over Eastern Kentucky on Dec. 23.
Coming into the season, Alabama only had 12 scholarship players (Kris Parker, Mark Sears, Grant Nelson, Rylan Griffen, Davin Cosby Jr., Mouhamed Dioubate, Mohamed Wague, Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Jarin Stevenson, Nick Pringle, Sam Walters and Aaron Estrada) on the team, which left one scholarship spot available.
Senior forward Max Scharnowski and freshman Ward Harrell are the other two walk-ons currently on the Crimson Tide roster.
It is the second season in a row Alabama head coach Nate Oats left an open scholarship spot on the roster. Last season, Alabama used the open scholarship for Cosby who enrolled early, but the Crimson Tide didn't add an early-enrollee midseason this year.
In Friday's press conference, Oats explained the reasoning behind giving Spears a scholarship over Scharnowski, who has been in the program longer. Oats said Scharnowski is already on a good academic scholarship, so Spears needed it more and was given the scholarship after discussing it with the two players."
https://www.si.com/college/alabama/basketball/alabama-basketball-walk-on-kai-spears-offered-scholarship