Avery Johnson shares what Memphis transfer forward Nick King brings to Alabama

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Nick King signed with Alabama on Wednesday (photo courtesy University of Alabama)

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Nick King committed to Alabama on Saturday and formally sent in his transfer papers on Wednesday, the school announced.

New head coach Avery Johnson said in a school release that he wanted to improve the redshirt program and the addition of King - who has to sit out the 2015-16 season after transferring from Memphis due to NCAA rules - will do just that.

The 6-foot-7, 225-pound King was rated as the No. 42 overall prospect and a four-star recruit out of Memphis East High School in 2013. Alabama lists him as a forward/guard.

"Nick's experience and savviness on the court, along with his versatility is something that was attractive to us," Johnson said in a UA release. "The way he can perform under pressure will be a vital asset to us moving forward. We want to thank his family, his dad Gregory and his mom Lolita, for having the confidence in our program that we would be the best fit for Nick on the court and in the classroom."

He scored 7.2 points per game as a sophomore at Memphis last season. King will have two years left to play two beginning in the fall of 2016.

Alabama has two spots left in the recruiting class, and Johnson detailed two positions he's targeting for the 2015-16 season.

One wing player Alabama has inquired about is Dikembe Dixson, who recently finished his senior season at Mingo Central in Matewan, West Virginia. Dixson, originally from Bardstown, Ky., has also recently picked up high-major interest from Arkansas, Mississippi State and others.

Alabama is in the mix for 5-foot-11 Cullman guard Lawson Schaffer, who is announcing his college destination on Thursday at 1:05 p.m. at Cullman High School.

He visited Alabama and has an offer to join the program as a walk-on. Auburn has extended the same offer. Furman from the Southern Conference has offered a full scholarship and he has offers from Division II schools.

Schaffer averaged 21.2 ppg and hit 84 percent from the free throw line and 40 percent from 3-point range.

Here are some high school highlights of King.

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