Nate Oats discusses Noah Clowney's best performance of the season

Alabama cruised past Missouri over the weekend in a blowout, aided in part by forward Noah Clowney‘s best performance of the season.

The freshman forward recorded his second double-double of the season, scoring 17 points and pulling down 14 boards in an 85-64 win over the Tigers on the road. Coach Nate Oats offered plenty of praise following Clowney’s big game.

“Probably his best numbers at 17 and 14,” Oats said. “He’s had some pretty good games, though. He’s obviously shot threes for us at a high clip before. He’s played really well for us. There’s a reason he’s playing as many minutes as he’s been playing this year.”

Clowney, a 6-foot-10, 210-pound freshman forward from Roebuck, S.C., has also been extremely versatile for the Crimson Tide.

Oats specifically noted that in pointing out a few areas where Clowney could have potentially had an even bigger impact on Saturday.

“He missed a few at the rim that I thought he normally would have made or could have made, but he’s playing heavy minutes. Probably got a little tired. He was chasing guards around out there with us switching so much stuff. So I thought he did a decent job at the free-throw line. He’s been struggling at the line a little bit even though I think in high school he was a great free-throw shooter.”

Noah Clowney’s best performance helps team through difficult week

Alabama had a lot going on this week following the arrest of Darius Miles on a capital murder charge.

Somehow the Crimson Tide managed to find a way to win two games on the road anyway, topping Vanderbilt and then Missouri.

“We’re really proud. A lot of mentally tough guys that are able to focus on what they need to focus on. (Yet) still have compassion for a rough situation,” Oats said. “Even before the game, we kind of gathered together. Noah Gurley leads the team in prayer. He prayed for the people involved in the situation, prayed for us to be able to focus. And I thought they did a good job.”

Clowney’s big double-double also helped.

“Going 5-of-7 at the (free-throw) line, having 17 and 14 is a pretty good night for him,” Oats said.