Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats had an angry outburst in the Crimson Tide’s tough road loss to No. 15 Missouri. For much of Wednesday night, the No. 4 team in the country looked like it was still having a hangover from the heartbreaking home loss to No. 1 Alabama. Such is life in the SEC, and the road does not get any easier for Alabama basketball from here on out.
Nate Oats knows this and was visibly frustrated with his team’s performance in Columbia. And the sixth-year head coach in Tuscaloosa unleashed that anger on a whiteboard toward the end of the first half.
Nate Oats T’d up, smashes his whiteboard onto the court
pic.twitter.com/gcYVpJaLWN
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 20, 2025
Alabama basketball’s major weakness is coming to light during this brutal stretch
The Crimson Tide are in the middle of one of the hardest stretches of a schedule in college basketball history. Nate Oats and company have played two of the seven straight teams it faces to close the regular season. That includes the last three games, which are at No. 6 Tennessee, at home against No. 2 Florida, and at No. 1 Auburn. Therefore, this elite squad is learning much about themselves over this stretch. And, expectedly, not all of it is pretty.
The Crimson Tide’s clearcut weakness is their defense, particularly on the interior. While Alabama is in the top 30 in blocks per game, this squad has struggled against big, physical scorers. This was on display tonight as Missouri guard Malik Dia, who is 6’9″, 230 lbs, had a game-high 31 points. The junior out of Kansas City was getting to the basket at will. And when he wasn’t scoring in the paint, Dia was getting to the free throw, shooting twelve total.
Alabama gave up a season-high 110 points against the Tigers, squandering a 35-point performance by star point guard Mark Sears. Regardless of the result, seeing Sears get back on track was a good sign. The All-American floor general struggled against Auburn, shooting just four of 17 from the field. If the Muscle Shoals, Alabama native, plays like he did tonight more often, Nate Oats’ team will likely make a second Final Four.
But the Crimson Tide are a long way from San Antonio right now. And it’s important this squad finds its confidence heading into March. Alabama basketball’s loss likely means that it will drop to the No. 2 seed line in projected brackets. But winning three out of these last five games could almost assure this team a seat back up at the top line.
Overall, Alabama basketball will accumulate some scars over these next few weeks. In the end, though, if this group can stay healthy, the Crimson Tide will be a tough out in March. Things might look a little bleak now, but this is a great team with a strong culture and a terrific head coach.
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