As the Alabama basketball team beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders in the second round of the March Madness tournament in dominating fashion, 90-65, it garnered a positive response from head coach Nate Oats. With the Alabama basketball team looking to make noise in the 2026 NCAA tournament, Oats gave insight into the mentality that will get it done.

Oats would point out three seniors on the Crimson Tide that played exceptionally on Sunday night in Latrell Wrightsell Jr., Houston Mallette, and Noah Williamson. They had the mentality of thinking “we're not going home,” per Oats, leading to the rout over Texas Tech.

“All three of these seniors came with the mentality, ‘we’re not going home.' And you could tell it. And I tell our guys all the time, just be about the right stuff, lose yourself in the game, and the other stuff takes care of itself,” Oats said, via The Next Round.

Wrightsell led the way with 24 points, as Mallette and Williamson came off the bench and had 15 and eight points respectively, as the former contributed with eight rebounds.

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Alabama basketball's Nate Oats gives credit to Texas Tech after the game

Oats continued talking about the win and gave credit to the Red Raiders, mentioning how they were missing an obvious huge piece in star JT Toppin, who suffered a season-ending injury before the tourney.

“For us to win in the fashion we did, I’ve got a lot of respect for Grant [McCashland],” Oats said, according to AL.com. “I think he’s one of the best coaches in the country. Total class act. I got a lot of respect for what he did when he lost Toppin. For our guys to come in and do what they did in this game, I’ve got a lot of respect for these seniors. They came ready to go.”

At any rate, the Alabama basketball team will build off the huge win over Texas Tech and now enters the Sweet Sixteen, where the program will take on head coach Dusty May and a tough No. 1-seeded Michigan Wolverines squad on Friday night.