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Nate Oats sets Alabama record for most wins over top-25 teams

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby:Charlie Potter•about 13 hours•

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Alabama coach Nate Oats
Alabama coach Nate Oats (Will McLelland / Imagn Images)

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Nate Oats has more ranked wins than any coach in Alabama history.

With the Crimson Tide’s 96-83 victory over No. 17 Kentucky on Saturday, Oats claimed his 26th win over a team ranked among the Associated Press Poll’s top 25 during his Alabama tenure. Oats surpassed former Tide coach Wimp Sanderson for the school record.

Oats was hired at Alabama on March 27, 2019, and is in his sixth season as the Crimson Tide’s head basketball coach. Sanderson coached at Alabama for 12 seasons from 1980-92.

“Wimp did a really good job here,” Oats said after the game. “I’m guessing that the SEC is a lot better now, so there’s a lot more opportunities to get top-25 wins than he probably had. And when they give you the opportunity, you take advantage of them and then try to get it done. 

“We don’t have enough because we had a chance to get two more in the last two games before this, and we didn’t come up with them. But I think it does speak to the level of the SEC as a whole, that now we’ve got all these opportunities.”

Alabama’s win over Kentucky on Saturday was its eighth over a top-25 team this year, a new program record. An Oats-coached team set the last mark at seven victories in 2022-23.

Now in his sixth year, Oats’ first win over a top-25 opponent came in his first season in 2019-20 when Alabama defeated then-No. 4 Auburn, 83-64, at Coleman Coliseum on Jan. 15. The Tide has averaged 4.33 wins over ranked foes in each of Oats’ seasons as head coach.

“A lot of credit to our guys we’ve had here,” Oats said. “Herb’s in the building today, getting rehab on his shoulder. I mean, Herb got this thing going for us. And then you got Shackleford, Quinerly, Brandon Miller, Clowney. Just a lot of players that stepped up in big-time games throughout the years, and now, a lot of opportunities to get top-25 wins. 

“So a combination of the two. It’s a good time for basketball in the state of Alabama.”

Oats will have a chance to add to his record total. Alabama will welcome No. 21 Mississippi State to Tuscaloosa on Tuesday, February 25. Then, the Tide faces three top-10 teams.

“Every team we play the rest of the year is a top-25 team,” Oats said. “I’m guessing Wimp didn’t have that many opportunities like we have, but you also got to go win them.”

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