Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats is still working on closing out his 2019 signing class strong just over one month on the job.

This weekend, the first-year Crimson Tide head coach had Howard point guard transfer RJ Cole on campus for an official visit.

“Bama was really nice,” Cole told BamaOnLine. “The campus itself was nice. Coach Oats and his coaching staff, they are really good people. I developed a little bit of a relationship with him in the little time I was there.”

The reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year would have to sit out the upcoming season due to NCAA transfer rules, and would have two years to contribute at the college level starting in 2020.

“He feels like I fit in his offense; he feels like it’s a perfect match and the ideal situation for me to come in and be a guy who’s a seasoned point guard,” Cole said of Oats’ message. “He wants me to be that sit-out guy that can come in and learn his offense while I’m sitting out and come right in and perform.”

This all of course if Cole opts to stay in college as he’s currently declared for the NBA Draft (without hiring an agent). He has until the end of May to decide which route he will go.

Oats and company certainly left a positive impression on the veteran point guard.

“I feel like he’s a real relationship guy, he likes to build a relationship with his players,” Cole said of Oats. “I’ve heard a lot about him. I’ve heard some of his players talk about him. I feel like he’s a really great coach and a really great guy.”

New Bama assistant Bryan Hodgson is the lead recruiter going after the New Jersey native.

“He was the first guy to hit me when I was in the transfer portal,” Cole said of Hodgson. “He came to see me and see my parents. I really liked that and appreciate that.”

Alabama and UConn are the two schools that appear to be in best shape at this time. A visit to see the Huskies was set for next weekend, but Cole will be at an NBA draft prep camp, and had to reschedule his trip.

“I’ll probably end up deciding between those two,” he said, adding neither leads at this point, otherwise he would have committed by now.

Other schools that are recruiting Cole include Arkansas, Oklahoma State, and Seton Hall.

“I could see myself (at Alabama) because of the way that the culture Coach Oats had at Buffalo, he’s bringing it to Alabama, which is in the SEC,” Cole said. “It’s a really talented program, and they have a lot of talented players. I feel like I could come in and fit in perfectly in their system.”

The 6-foot-1, 185-pounder averaged 21.4 points per game, earning a spot on the AP All-American honorable mention team.