Alabama Basketball: Crimson collapse in Columbia disappointing

For most of the season, Nate Oats’ Alabama basketball team has been commended for playing hard. The Tide lost that edge against Vanderbilt and Missouri.

Alabama basketball played its worst game of 2020 in Saturday’s regular-season final against the Missouri Tigers. If possible, the loss was worse than the 19-point, 69-50 deficit. Missouri came out on top in every facet of the game.

The stats listed below are bad enough. Most disappointing for the followers of Alabama basketball was the way the Crimson Tide finished the game. It is not unfair to say the Tide quit in the last five minutes.

Alabama vs. Missouri Stats

• Field Goal Percentage: Alabama 30 percent; Missouri 42 percent
• 3PT Field Goal Percentage: Alabama 16 percent; Missouri 26 percent
• Free Throw Percentage: Alabama 69 percent; Missouri 80 percent
• Turnovers: Alabama 18; Missouri 16
• Rebounds: Alabama 27; Missouri 42
• Points in the Paint: Alabama 18; Missouri 28
• Fast Break Points: Alabama 4; Missouri 12
• Blocks: Alabama 1; Missouri 3
• Steals: Alabama 6; Missouri 9
• Assists: Alabama 7; Missouri 12
• Bench Points: Alabama 5; Missouri 40

Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats must be as disappointed as Crimson Tide fans. He commented on Missouri scoring 17 of its last 18 possessions.

"It’s a pretty embarrassing effort on defense for us to close the game out."

Nate Oats twice gave Missouri credit for outplaying the Crimson Tide. He also admitted how poorly his team played offensively.

"That was our worst offensive performance of the year."

After the loss to Vanderbilt, Oats did not mince words in his dissatisfaction with the effort of some players. He challenged them to show their character the rest of the season.

"We’re going to have to get everybody on the team … to give us everything they have for the next … however many games. And you’re really going to find out the character of some of these guys on this team. Do you want to keep playing? Do you love basketball that much? Does it mean enough to you to give us your best effort every time you step on the floor? Are you coachable?"

To the Alabama basketball fans who suffered through the Missouri game to its conclusion, Nate Oats got some answers. A major roster rebuild is needed in the offseason.

The Alabama Crimson Tide finished the regular season at 16-15 and 8-10 in the SEC. The 8-10 conference record equals the Tide’s SEC performance in four of the last five seasons.