It was during a trip to scout a different player that Alabama found its newest commitment.

After meeting with one of IMG Academy’s highly-ranked 2021 prospects, Crimson Tide assistant Bryan Hodgson decided to stick around to watch the school’s post-graduate team.

It was within the first five minutes of that game earlier this year — seeing some plays that Darius Miles was making as a 6-foot-7 wing player — that Hodgson became intrigued.

Now, a couple months later, Miles is the latest player to join Alabama’s 2020 recruiting class and has added to what’s been a highly productive last two weeks for the Tide from a recruiting standpoint.

Alabama has now landed three new commitments in these last 13 days, going from a one-person class as recently as March 27 to a four-member group that’s ranked as the 15th-best class nationally within the 247Sports Composite rankings.

“I really like what they’re doing,” 247 director of basketball scouting Jerry Meyer said.

It started with Alabama landing 6-foot-6 five-star Canadian combo guard Josh Primo and has continued with the Tide securing the two new commitments this week — 6-6 four-star JUCO combo guard Keon Ellis on Sunday and then Miles on Tuesday.

Alabama is now set to add those three to go along with four-star power forward Keon Ambrose-Hylton, who signed with the Tide in November.

“It looks like they’ve gotten three versatile players that they’re going to need,” Meyer said. “They’re guard, wing dudes with length that are all a little different. You’ve got to have some length and athleticism at those perimeter positions, so I like it.”

In Primo, Alabama is getting someone who has Tide coaches excited thanks — in particular — to his size, shooting ability and capability to give them another ball-handler.

Primo, who doesn’t turn 18 until December, is rated as the 27th-best overall player in this recruiting cycle within 247’s individual rankings.

“It sounds simplistic, but he’s just a good basketball player,” Meyer said. “He’s in that mold of that complete game, all-around type player and has a promising upside. Very, very good player.”

With Ellis and Miles, Alabama believes it’s getting two-way players that should be able to help the team both offensively and defensively.

Ellis was the top scorer at 18.1 points per game for a Florida Southwestern team that was ranked as the No. 1 JUCO team in the country. In addition, both him and Miles will help the Tide upgrade in an area that was lacking some this past season — size and athleticism on defense.

“With Keon Ellis, I like his athleticism and he’s good on the break,” Meyer said. “He’s a finisher. He’s got that niche of explosiveness on the move. And he’s got that tunnel vision. He’s focused on the rim. He’s gonna score. With Darius Miles, when I scout him, I just think about his body control and really smooth type athleticism. He just has that kind of unorthodox, funky left-hander game and can make awkward and unorthodox shots in the mid-range. And he’ll be an interesting one to watch. If he can build up his body and get a more physical edge to his game, he could really, really be good.”

The hot recruiting run may not be over yet either.

Alabama is in the mix for Yale graduate transfer forward Jordan Bruner, a first-team All-Ivy League selection last season.

The Tide is also pursuing Ohio State transfer Luther Muhammad, a 6-3 guard who was a high school teammate of Alabama point guard Jahvon Quinerly.

Either way, it’s already been a productive two week stretch — aided by Hodgson.

Hodgson led the way for the Tide with Primo and Ambrose-Hylton, AAU teammates in Canada whose AAU coach was actually Hodgson’s JV basketball coach at Jamestown High School in New York in 2002.

Hodgson then also led the way with Ellis.

And he was the one behind the recruitment of this latest commitment, Miles, a process that had been in the works since that day at IMG back in February.

Matt Zenitz is an SEC football and basketball reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mzenitz.