During a significant part of the 2022-23 season, Alabama, guided by Nate Oats, led the nation’s top spot before a disappointing exit in the NCAA Tournament against Louisville and San Diego State, halting their journey to a regional final.
This season, the Crimson Tide was seen more as a team in transition, ranked fifth in the Southeastern Conference before the season as NBA lottery pick Brandon Miller left. Oats commenced the season with four transfers, five freshmen, and three new starters.
With local talent Mark Sears steering on the court, Oats, whose third contract as Alabama’s coach was sanctioned in February, guided the team through challenges. Despite 11 losses during the season, Alabama identified the right formula to propel them to their first-ever appearance in the Final Four.
“They counted us out, really, from the very first game,” said guard Aaron Estrada, a Hofstra transfer who had 10 points, eight rebounds and five assists against Clemson in the regional final. “And like I said, I’ve been doubted like my whole life, under-recruited, looked upon. And I think that it just added more fuel to everybody really.”
Since joining in 2019 after an impressive 32-win season at Buffalo, Oats aimed to integrate Alabama’s heritage into the program by seeking guidance from the now-retired coach Nick Saban — in a university predominantly known for its football prowess.
“I went and watched practices. I sat in on staff meetings. I shadowed him for a day. I went on road trips with him to see how they operated. I tried to learn as much as I could. It never nagged me or bothered me that football was huge at Alabama. I loved it. It’s better for recruiting. It’s better for everything for us,” Oats said.
“I tried to learn from it. And different people would make comments. Football, football. But only 18 national championships behind them. We have a few to catch up. Let’s just keep grinding. Let’s get to a Final Four first, and let’s put ourselves on a big stage.”
The grand stage, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., beckons on Saturday night. Oats and Alabama overcame Clemson 89-82 in the regional final, setting up a national semifinal clash with reigning champions UConn. They reached this point using what some opponents referred to as “inefficient” or quirky offensive strategies.
Oats’ teams have always been fond of shooting 3-pointers — dating back to his successful high school days in Detroit and at the University of Buffalo. However, he has significantly reduced non-rim 2-point shot attempts, a departure from the norm that has yielded positive results.
“We’ve got some different options to get efficient shots. They don’t always have to come flying up and down taking quick 3s,” Oats said. “Quick 3s are efficient, if you get them from the right shooters. There’s other efficient shots too. We’ve got different packages to get efficient shots.”
“Guys come in the summer. We teach them how to play efficient. We don’t eliminate inefficient shots from their arsenal right away. I don’t want guys second-guessing themselves. We gradually educate them as to how to be the most efficient player. Brandon Miller became pretty efficient (and) moved from, like, projected 23rd pick in the draft to the second pick in the draft.”
For the initial four NCAA Tournament games, Oats enlisted an external analytics firm to dissect game scenarios and outcomes, aiding the Crimson Tide in comprehending the intricacies of their system.
“I think you can win playing this way. They win playing this way in the NBA. We’ve just proven you can make a Final Four run,” Oats said, applauding Alabama’s 10-of-15 shooting from 3-point range in the second half against Clemson.
“And you know what, UConn is a pretty good team and they play similar. They play through the post a lot, but Danny is big on offensive efficiency, playing the right way, getting the right shots. Their defense is a lot better than ours.”
“We have to figure how to beat them. But I think more college teams are starting to play more efficient style basketball like we’ve been playing.”
