How is Alabama approaching SEC Tournament: 'We're gonna try to win it'
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – In Nate Oats’ first five seasons at Alabama, the Crimson Tide has won the SEC Tournament twice in four opportunities. No other team has more than one title.
However, in those two seasons (2020-21 and 2022-23), Alabama didn’t make it past the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, falling to UCLA and San Diego State, respectively. Last year, the Tide lost to Florida in its first SEC Tournament game, dropping four of its last six, before making a magical March Madness run to the basketball team’s first-ever Final Four.
As Alabama enters the 2025 SEC Tournament as the No. 3 seed, earning a double bye, does Nate Oats see an advantage, based on last season’s success, in not making it to Sunday’s SEC title game? The sixth-year coach was quick to point out how his third year ended.
“There may be,” Oats said. “We also went one-and-done in Tampa and then went one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament, too. So it’s gone all different ways.”
The path to this year’s SEC Tournament Championship Game may be the most difficult its ever been. Alabama is the 3-seed, but the other top-four seeds have all defeated the Crimson Tide – No. 1 Auburn, No. 2 Florida and No. 4 Tennessee. Alabama evened the season series against the Tigers to end the regular season but navigating this field is no small task.
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Still, Oats is taking his team to Nashville to see the sights.
“We’re gonna try to win it,” Oats said. “We’re trying to win championships. We’ve won more championships in the SEC than anybody else since I’ve been here. This is a championship we’re trying to win.
“If we don’t end up winning it, then there will be some, like you said, some positives we’ll try to sell the guys on. But that’s not the goal. The goal is to go there, win three in a row, win a championship and have ourselves playing on a run going into the NCAA Tournament.”
Alabama’s players expect nothing less from their head coach and share the same mindset.
“Oats is a winner, so he tries to win every game he plays despite the team or the competition,” said Alabama forward Mouhamed Diobuate. “Us, we’re competitors, so we try to win every game we can, and we’re coming into this tournament to win the tournament. Even if it’s gonna take some load on our bodies, we’re just trying to win it all.”
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