The best way to measure this century's Alabama NCAA Tournament history is pre- and post-Nate Oats. In this comparison, 'pre' means Mark Gottfried's last 10 Crimson Tide seasons, six Anthony Grant seasons, and four Avery Johnson seasons.
In the 20 seasons under Gottfried, Grant, and Johnson, the Crimson Tide's NCAA Tournament record was 6-7, with Alabama not making the Big Dance 13 times. Alabama made one appearance under Anthony Grant in 2012 and lost. The Tide had one appearance under Avery Johnson in 2018, beating Virginia Tech and losing to Villanova.
The Grant and the Johnson seasons qualify as the worst of the pre-Oats NCAA Tournament period.
The 2020 NCAA Tournament was canceled, but Nate Oats's first Alabama team would not have qualified, with a 16-15 record. In the five years of NCAA Tournament appearances since, 2024 has been the highlight, with the Crimson Tide making its first Final Four. Alabama's best game in the Oats era came last season. The Crimson Tide exploded against BYU in the Sweet 16, winning 113-88 and setting an NCAA Tournament record with 25 threes.
Will 2026 be the year for the Crimson Tide's greatest Big Dance glory? Computer model projections indicate no, but Nate Oats tying Wimp Sanderson's record of six consecutive NCAA Tournaments is a significant accomplishment.