Not every Alabama football fan is a serious Alabama basketball fan. Those who are not might want to consider paying more attention. What Nate Oats is doing with the Alabama basketball program is exceptional. Now is the golden era for Alabama Basketball. What C.M. Newton, Wimp Sanderson, and Mark Gottfried accomplished in their tenures is being eclipsed by Oats.
Television commentators thrive on bold statements, but on Saturday, what Jay Bilas said was bold and fact-driven opinion: "He’s (Oats) kind of like John Nash of ‘A Beautiful Mind.’ They play different. And it’s a beautiful brand of basketball.”
The offensive schemes used by Oats are based on spacing, ball movement, and fearless shooting. When all three are clicking, it is poetry in motion. No one should be surprised when an elite prospect chooses the Crimson Tide. They want to play Oats-style basketball because, at its best, it is joyous.
There is another reason to play for Alabama Basketball. It has become a dependable path to the NBA. Last April, a survey of NBA executives was conducted to determine which college coaches they trust the most in developing NBA players. Nate Oats was one of the top four. The others were Duke's Jon Scheyer, UConn's Dan Hurley, and Arkansas' John Calipari.
Styles and systems of play were often mentioned by the NBA sources. Of Alabama, it was said, "The way they play is similar to the way a lot of our teams play." Oats stands out even more because so many of his less elite players also blossom in his system.
Nate Oats and Alabama Basketball Path to Blue Blood Status
Nate Oats has not yet won a Big Dance crown. With three National Championships this century, Florida is the blue-est blood among SEC teams. Narrow the time frame to the seven seasons Oats has coached Alabama, and Florida leads Alabama only because of its one National Championship. Alabama is the SEC leader in NCAA Tournament wins in the 2020s with 11. Arkansas is next with 10. The Gators have seven. Only Houston (16), UConn (13), Gonzaga (13), and Duke (12) have more than the Crimson Tide.
The Crimson Tide is on a five-season NCAA Tournament run. In four of those seasons, Oats had led Alabama to two Sweet Sixteens, an Elite Eight, and a Final Four. Taking nothing for granted, it still feels like Oats will at some point take Alabama across the threshold to its first basketball National Championship.
So, to those Alabama football fans not paying attention, you are missing a golden age of Alabama Basketball.