Alabama Basketball: Improvement in Nate Oats’ second season amazing

Alabama Basketball: How much the Crimson Tide has improved in Nate Oats’ second season is amazing.

Every Alabama basketball fan will agree, what Nate has done, in such short order, is remarkable. After last season, Crimson Tide fans had to shed memories of another disappointing season. In Oats’ first Crimson Tide campaign the results were on par with the 14 preceding seasons. Actually, in golf terms, instead of par, think somewhere between a bogey and a double-bogey. Last season was the Crimson Tide’s 15th straight season with double-digit losses.

The range of 15-season losses was 12-19 games, an annual pain, only slightly soothed by three NCAA Tournaments that produced two wins and three losses. In four of those seasons, Alabama Basketball was not even worthy of playing in the post-season NIT.

In the five SEC regular seasons, before last year, the Crimson Tide won just eight games four times. Nate Oats kept the pattern alive going 8-10 in SEC play in his year one. Among Tide fans, enthusiasm for the Oats hire subsided.

College basketball pundits began to question if Oats’ gimmickry system had staying power in a tougher league. Nate Oats just kept working, particularly in building this season’s roster. Having John Petty Jr. and Herbert Jones return for senior seasons was huge. Oats added solid talent in Josh Primo, Keon Ellis, Keon Ambrose-Hylton, transfer Jordan Bruner and Darius Miles. Along with the core of Jaden Shackelford, Jahvon Quinerly, Alex Reese, Juwan Gary and James Rojas, Oats built the deepest roster in the SEC.

The current Alabama Basketball record of 15-4 record is no fluke and the progress shows the Oats system has staying power. A closer look shows why the Tide is having better results in Oats’ second season.

2019-20 Season compared to 2020-21 Season

The Tide’s ‘space and pace’ offense is explosive when the threes are going in, but the big improvement for the Crimson Tide is defensively.

• Scoring Defense: ’20 season, No. 316 among Division 1 teams. This season the Tide is No. 152, giving up an average of 9.8 fewer points per game.
• Opponent Field Goal Percentage: Last season, Tide opponents shot 42.5 percent; this season the average is down to 39.7 percent
• Opponent 3-point Percentage: Down from 31.2 to 30. 3 percent.
• Defensive Rebounds: Last season the Tide was No. 43 in Division 1; this season it is No. 19.
• Steals-per-game: Last season the Tide was No. 181 nationally at 6.3 per game. This season the average is 8.6 per game and No. 25 nationally.

When shots don’t fall as well for the Crimson Tide, the team’s combative defense and mental toughness make up the difference. Credit Nate Oats for that toughness as well. He has shaped a team that plays hard for each other. In whatever minutes the roster rotation allows, Crimson Tide players consistently battle. Herbert Jones and John Petty Jr deserve credit for setting an example. So does Alex Reese, who before starting in place of the injured Jordan Bruner, was determined to make an impact coming off the bench. Other backups, Jahvon Quinerly, Keon Ellis and Juwan Gary play with the same passion.

The Crimson Tide is not without some troublesome flaws. It does not always value possessions and though turnovers have improved from last season, No. 205 nationally is not good enough. Being No. 223 nationally in fouls leads to too many opponent free throws. In any game when there are a high number of unforced errors on offense, too many fouls and too many missed threes, the Crimson Tide can be vulnerable.

No game performance can be flawless and the Tide is less vulnerable to beating itself than most teams. And when the Tide is good, it is very good. Much work is left to be done; seven more regular-season games, followed by the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.

What Nate Oats has accomplished, and what it appears his team has the potential to accomplish, is amazing. Next up is Saturday morning against Missouri, in Columbia. MO.