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Nick King (5) is looking to make a big impact at Alabama (Associated Press)
The excitement and relief in Nick King's voice was evident as he prepared for the next step of his college basketball career.
King, a former top 50 national recruit in the class of 2013, got his release to transfer from hometown University of Memphis. The 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward narrowed his choices to Ole Miss, Alabama and Arkansas and set visits to the school in that order, but won't be visiting Arkansas after committing to Alabama while on his visit over the weekend.
King will sit out the 2015-16 year to satisfy NCAA transfer rules, but he's a big pickup early in the tenure of new Alabama head coach Avery Johnson.
"When I went on my visit, (Johnson) emphasized family a lot," King said. "I could tell it was real genuine. It reminds me a lot of my high school. My high school was a small school. (Tuscaloosa) is a small town, but everybody there is family and they support each other 100 percent.
"I didn't know I was going to commit, but once I got there, you could tell it was the perfect feeling and that it was the right fit for me."
King scored 7.2 points per game as a sophomore and 4.9 ppg as a freshman, but saw his role diminishing at Memphis and knew a change of scenery was the best fit. Around 30 schools reached out after he got his release, his father Greg said last week.
King was Tennessee's Class AAA Mr. Basketball in 2013 and the Class AAA state tournament MVP after helping lead East High School to a state championship.
Alabama recruited King in high school and he developed a relationship with assistant Antoine Pettway, who was retained from the previous staff.
"I could tell every time he called, he was excited and they were ready to have me and excited for me to be a part of their team," King said.
"The first time (in high school), I didn't take any visit there. This time, I said I was going to stay open and take the time to go down there and look at my options. As he kept calling and we kept talking, we formed a closer relationship. I could relate to him a lot. He was really cool. I decided to schedule a visit with them and went from there."
King said he left Memphis after sacrificing his individual game for a team role and decided he wanted to be in a better situation. At Alabama, he found that.
"They just want to use me as a player," King said. "They don't want to box me in. they're going to run the offense that they run and they want me to have the leadership, come in and just make the right decisions. He doesn't want to hold me to one position. He wants me to go out there and play."
And during his 'redshirt' season, King said he'd work on his game and work toward the completion of a degree in business management.
"It is (hard to sit out) because I love the game so much, but that's what I'm going to take advantage - working on my game, working on my weaknesses to make be a better player, learn the system so when I do get on the court next year, I can take off," King said.
King is expected to send in his letter of intent to Alabama this week.
Here's a highlight of a big dunk from King last season.