Nate Oats reveals key to Alabama turning around season

Alabama basketball has hit a rough patch in its season, losing three straight and five of eight since winning back-to-back games against Gonzaga and Houston. While the 81-77 loss against Auburn leaves nothing to be ashamed of given their form, losses against Missouri and Mississippi State on the road set back the Crimson Tide from reaching their goal of a deep NCAA Tournament run.

The Crimson Tide have one of the most up-and-down resumes in college basketball, boasting wins over Gonzaga, Houston, Miami and Tennessee and losses against Iona, Davidson and Missouri.

Head coach Nate Oats has spent the last four days regrouping with his veteran Alabama squad, trying to right the ship before No. 13 LSU arrives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama on Wednesday night. He spoke about the key to getting the team back on track during a post-practice press conference.

“We beat Gonzaga, pretty much on the road, we had Auburn on the ropes,” said Oats, via AL.com’s Mike Rodak. “Had a shot there with a minute to go that would have put us up. We’re right in there. We just got to clean some stuff up. We got to bring an effort that demands a victory every night out for 40.”

Alabama’s recent success has centered on a “blue-collar” approach and the analytics of three-point shots and layups. The departure of veteran leader and defensive star Herbert Jones left a gap in Alabama’s armor which must be replaced before March.

Nate Oats on improvement

Despite the recent run of results, head coach Nate Oats has found positive energy at Alabama’s most recent practices. The return of role-playing forward James Rojas does not offer much offensive boost but has increased the energy level and provided another piece that fits the old mold of success.

“I thought there was a sense of urgency from some of the guys in practice today that I hadn’t quite seen in a while,” said Oats. “I liked what I saw.

“We looked good today. I thought we looked really good. I thought there was some energy about us. I thought (Jaden Shackelford) was great. (Jahvon) Quinerly was great. (James) Rojas looked really good. … Juwan Gary, had been struggling lately, he looked really good today in practice.”

The Crimson Tide need to get things turned in the right direction quickly with a tough run of games upcoming. Starting on Jan. 29 they go on a three-game run against No. 5 Baylor, No. 2 Auburn and No. 12 Kentucky within one week.