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Nate Oats: Alabama needs to do 'a little soul-searching' before NCAA Tournament

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby:Charlie Potter•about 12 hours•

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Alabama coach Nate Oats
Alabama coach Nate Oats (Denny Simmons / Imagn Images)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Alabama’s time in the SEC Tournament ended Saturday afternoon with a 104-82 loss to Florida in the semifinal round. The Crimson Tide trailed the Gators, 47-45, at the half before being out-scored by 20 over the final 20 minutes at Bridgestone Arena.

Now, Alabama (25-8, 13-5 SEC) will wait to learn its NCAA Tournament opponent, location and date, which will be announced on Sunday, March 16, beginning at 5 p.m. CT live on CBS.

Following the Tide’s second loss to Florida this season, Nate Oats shared his prediction.

“We’ll be one of the top eight,” Oats said. “I would guess we’ll be a 2 seed sent somewhere. It will be set up for us to make a deep run again.”

Alabama has faced the nation’s toughest schedule this season, according to KenPom, and has several signature wins, including a road win over No. 1 Auburn to end the regular season.

But Oats wants to see more from his team after a sloppy second-half showing in Nashville.

“We’re going to have to do a little soul searching, see how bad we want to make a deep run,” Oats said. “I mean, the effort I saw in the second half wasn’t what I would have liked to see going into the NCAA tournament.

“We’re going to get back there, watch the selection show, figure out who the first opponent is, figure out who the next two possible ones after that is, get to work as a staff on a scouting report.

“Our players are going to have to really determine how bad they want to make a run because it’s truly player-led more than anything. With the effort and the toughness I saw the second half tonight, that’s not going to get us very far. 

“It may not get us out of the first round, to be honest with you.”

Alabama will face a No. 15-seed in the NCAA Tournament’s first round, but as Oats pointed out in his postgame press conference, that will be a matchup with a conference champion.

The Tide experienced a late-season skid last year, losing four of its last six, before making a run to the Final Four, the first in program history. Entering the 2025 NCAA Tournament, Alabama has lost three of its last five but has shown signs of being an elite team, whether it was the close loss at Tennessee or wins over Auburn and Kentucky in the SEC Tournament.

Oats will challenge his team ahead of March Madness, but he also has reason for optimism.

“I think we’re close to being an elite team that can make another Final Four run,” Oats said. “I don’t know how many times we can play somebody, and basically the loss is because we didn’t play hard enough. That’s frustrating.”

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