Alabama Basketball: Nate Oats making history
Just a year after putting together what may have been the best regular season in the history of Alabama Basketball, Nate Oats is orchestrating its greatest postseason ever.
Bama went 31-6 in 2022-23, winning the SEC regular season and tournament titles. The Tide was a dominant force all season and earned the no. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. While such an unprecedented season at a so-called “football school” should have only been celebrated, many considered it to be a disappointment when Alabama lost in the Sweet 16 last March.
A year later, Coach Nate Oats is setting new milestones. Sure, Bama took a clear step back in the regular season. The Tide struggled in its most important games, failing to notch a signature win all season and flaming out in its first SEC Tournament game. However, somewhere between the conference tournament and the Big Dance, Alabama flipped a switch.
With Bama’s win over Clemson late on Saturday night, a team that looked dead in the water just two weeks ago has now advanced to the first Final Four in program history.
The Tide’s embarrassing 102-88 loss to Florida in Nashville, which was its fourth loss in six games and its third time giving up 100+ points in that same stretch, now feels like a distant memory.
After leading Alabama to two conference titles in his first four seasons in Tuscaloosa, many believed Nate Oats was well on his way to becoming the greatest coach in program history. All he seemed to be missing was the NCAA Tournament success that would inevitably cement his status.
Now, when 'greatest of all-time' conversations come up regarding Bama Hoops, it will be tough to argue against Nate Oats.
To Coach Oats, however, the job isn't done. While many Bama fans are elated with a Final Four appearance that they have waited their whole lives to see, Oats and his team are gunning for a national championship.
With an underdog mentality and an unparalleled degree of confidence, Nate Oats and the Tide are headed to Phoenix with nothing to lose.