Nate Oats didn't hold back on the No. 16 Alabama Crimson Tide's woes in their 98-88 upset loss to the Georgia Bulldogs on Tuesday night.
Oats is going through the seventh season of his stint with the Crimson Tide. He has gotten the program to five NCAA Tournament appearances as he is on pace for a sixth consecutive berth. His best run came in 2024 when the Crimson Tide reached the Final Four.
To get back to that level, Alabama must be consistent at playing elite basketball. They didn't do that against Georgia, prompting criticism from Oats after the game.
“If you can't turn around from a tough mentally, physically exhausting game on Saturday and have yourself mentally ready to go on Tuesday, then we've got a lot of growing up to do,” Oats said, via The Next Round.
“We're good for giving up career highs to guys. We did it again tonight with [Kanon] Catchings. He's super comfortable, got a bunch of open shots off, and then he ends up with 32. It's like once you get him going, it's hard to shut the water off. He ends up making seven 3's, gets a career high, has his career night. We didn't have any resistance on him all night.”
Nate Oats was not pleased with Alabama's effort in the loss at Georgia:
"If you can't turn around from a tough mentally, physically exhausting game on Saturday and have yourself mentally ready to go on Tuesday, then we've got a lot of growing up to do." pic.twitter.com/bd4VMMrEcV
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) March 4, 2026
How Nate Oats, Alabama performed against Georgia
Nate Oats needs No. 16 Alabama to get back on track after underperforming in their loss to Georgia.
Four players scored in double-digits for Alabama in the loss. Labaron Philon Jr. led the team with a stat line of 26 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. He shot 8-of-16 from the field, including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc, and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line. Latrell Wrightsell came next with 19 points and five rebounds, Aden Holloway had 15 points and three assists, while Aiden Sherrell put up 12 points and four rebounds.
Alabama fell to a 22-8 overall record on the season, going 12-5 in its SEC matchups. They sit at second place in the conference standings, being above the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Tennessee Volunteers while trailing the reigning national champion Florida Gators.
The No. 16 Crimson Tide will look to bounce back in their next matchup, being at home. They end the regular season by hosting the Auburn Tigers on March 7 at 8:30 p.m. ET.
