‘A Different Edge’: Nate Oats Names Players Who Can Be X-Factors in SEC Tournament
The Alabama men’s basketball program has had immense success in the SEC Tournament under head coach Nate Oats. Oats appeared on SEC Network at halftime of the game between No. 6 seed Kentucky and No. 14 seed Oklahoma to share some thoughts about his team’s 2025 run.
Oats, whose Alabama teams won it all at the event in 2021 and 2023, was back in Nashville with the No. 3-seeded Crimson Tide as the team prepares for its quarterfinal matchup on Friday evening (against the winner of Oklahoma-Kentucky). He named two players he believes can make an impact at Bridgestone Arena this weekend.
The players in question are both sophomore forwards: Jarin Stevenson and Mouhamed Dioubate.
“I think Jarin Stevenson’s got a lot in there, if we can get more out of him,” Oats said. “He can dominate a game. Him and Mo Dioubate. Mo gives us a different edge… Combination of those two, if we can get them going, I think they can really push us over the edge.”
Stevenson averages 5.4 points and 3.6 rebounds per game this season. His best outing during conference play was on Feb. 11 at Texas, where he scored 22 points (his overall season high). He’s had three games this season with his 2024-25 high in rebounds, which is seven.
Dioubate was a major player in last season’s Final Four run. Oats has said before that that run would not have happened without him. He’s also been a big presence this year, especially with the absence of Derrion Reid for much of league play. He’s averaging 5.7 points and 6.7 boards a game.
This type of tournament format is the kind of situation where a team with Alabama’s depth can benefit from the versatility of its roster. Star point guard Mark Sears, who last weekend became the first player to hit a buzzer-beater against the No. 1-ranked team in SEC history, is just one of many whom the Crimson Tide needs in order to potentially win the conference tournament again.
