Nate Oats has built the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball program for long-term success. Don't take my word for it, though I agree. Instead, consider the list of teams that Kyle Boone states are "set for most long-term success."
Writing for CBS Sports, Boone boldly projects 25 college basketball programs set for success for the next 25 years. Let's ignore the 25-year portion of the claim and focus on where Boone has the Crimson Tide projected in his list of 25 programs. Not even a true college basketball oracle (of which there are none) can accurately predict 25 years.
Only three programs are ranked higher than the Alabama Crimson Tide by Boone. They are, in order, Kansas, Duke, and Louisville.
Ranking Alabama at No. 4, Boone explained, "Let this ranking cement it into the ether. So long as Nate Oats — with a Final Four under his belt and two SEC titles to boot – continues to lead the Crimson Tide, they will continue to rank among the best in basketball. Oats has NBA-ified Alabama with a 3s-and-layups attack on offense that has been devastatingly effective and lifted the program into a juggernaut. The former high school math teacher has surrounded himself with analytics-minded staffers who have been ahead of the college curve and the results so far in Tuscaloosa have been nothing short of spectacular."
SEC Teams trailing the Alabama Crimson Tide
Only one other SEC program ranks inside Boone's top 10. The Kentucky Wildcats are ranked at No. 9. Next for SEC teams are the Florida Gators at No. 13, followed by the Auburn Tigers at No. 16, and the Texas Longhorns at No. 17.
Many college basketball fans will scoff at Boone's 25-year projection, not for its length but in disputing the rankings. Alabama basketball fans will be all-in, that is, as long as Nate Oats is the Crimson Tide's head coach. Recently, Tennessee gave Rick Barnes a well-deserved 'Coach for Life' deal. Greg Byrne should start planning on doing the same thing within the next five years.