The Alabama basketball program has completely changed under head coach Nate Oats. The Crimson Tide has turned into a juggernaut thanks to Oats, and it has been a night-and-day difference from where the program was before he arrived in Tuscaloosa. Oats is an offensive genius in college basketball, and that style has fit like a glove with the Crimson Tide.
Oats was on the latest episode of “Inside College Basketball Now” with Jon Rothstein and discussed how he and his staff broke through and maintained a level of consistency at Alabama that has not usually been seen in the basketball program. He attributed it to the Crimson Tide's style of play and to it being different from the rest of the SEC. He also said that the transfer portal and NIL have helped their program stand out more.
Alabama is playing in the marquee game of the weekend in college basketball against Arizona in Birmingham. That is not normal for a Crimson Tide program that has a history of inconsistency.
Arizona has been a mainstay in college basketball since Lute Olson was hired in the 1980s, so Alabama's massive game against a program like that is a testament to what Nate Oats has accomplished since he was hired in 2019. He also said the game will mean a lot to the Alabama community overall.
The game on Saturday is a neutral-site return from the 2023-24 season, when these two programs played in Phoenix. Arizona won that game 87-74 on Dec. 20, 2023.
The Crimson Tide is the No. 12-ranked team in the latest AP Poll, while Arizona is the top-ranked team. Alabama has already played four teams ranked in the top 10 and went 2-2 in those games. This is the first time they are playing the top team this season, but Oats is 3-4 against them since he arrived in 2019.
The 2022-23 Alabama team was the team that changed everything for Oats. They earned the top seed in the NCAA Tournament and made the Sweet 16. Then, over the next two seasons, the Crimson Tide reached the Final Four and the Elite Eight. The expectation in Tuscaloosa under Oats has shifted from hoping to make the Tournament to expecting to be in the second weekend.
