Alabama’s Nate Oats sets bold Final Four standard for upcoming NCAA Tournament
The Alabama Crimson Tide are one of the best teams in the country, but lately, they have been the epitome of inconsistency. One game they’ll dominate, and the next, they’ll falter. A perfect example of this came in the SEC Tournament. On Friday night, the Crimson Tide easily handled Kentucky, but the very next day, Florida completely embarrassed them.
Not only has Alabama been inconsistent, but now, key player Grant Nelson is dealing with an injury, and it’s unclear if he’ll be ready for the first-round game on Friday.
It all started when Alabama suffered a heartbreaking loss to Tennessee. Even after that loss, the Crimson Tide had a chance to secure the last overall No. 1 seed, but getting demolished by Florida took that opportunity off the table. Alabama boasts a very talented roster, but when the offense isn’t clicking, the defense often disappears.
At times, it feels as though the Crimson Tide coaching staff doesn’t know when to make the right rotations. Toward the end of games, players seem to be continuously subbing in and out as the team searches for the right combination. Head coach Nate Oats made his feelings about the team and the expectations for the NCAA Tournament very clear:
“I’m not just happy to be in the NCAA Tournament right now. We need to make a run. Getting in the tournament is not good enough. Anything short of a Final Four would be a disappointment in my opinion. That’s what the expectation is,” Oats said.
Oats is clearly still frustrated with the way his team has been playing but knows they are capable of making a deep run, potentially all the way to the Final Four or beyond. The road back to the Final Four begins on Friday for Alabama, and senior Mark Sears is eager to take on the challenge and help lead the team toward a national championship.
