“I know we’ll be underdogs. I know they’re the one seed…. Our mindset is we go in, we do what we need to do with the game plan, and we’re going to get the win”. Nate Oats made it clear that his squad wasn’t willing to go into the Elite Eight matchup against the Duke Blue Devils with overconfidence. Having led the Alabama Crimson Tide to the Final Four for the first time last year, Nate Oats wanted to repeat the feat by taking careful steps. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to best Cooper Flagg and co. In the end, the Duke squad walked away with the win through an 85-65 score. Having given talks about how Alabama needs to be careful on both the offensive and the defensive front, Oats had prepared the team as well as anyone could have. Unfortunately, guilt still overcame the coach.

Nate Oats participated in a post-game presser after his team’s elimination from the March Madness series. He complimented Duke for having great players and a coaching staff. Furthermore, Oats also added that “We’ve raised this program to a level where the standard is really high. 99% of college basketball players would trade places with these guys with the year we had, but we’re disappointed. We had bigger goals.” The guilt of screwing things up with a squad consisting of stars like Mark Sears and Aden Holloway got to the coach. After all, he had set a high benchmark for the team and wasn’t afraid of letting it be known publicly.

The remarks from Oats came only a few weeks after he allegedly exaggerated a bit about his team’s standing. Prior to Selection Sunday, the Crimson Tide’s final seven games were a grind, as they were all against ranked opponents. All but two were top-15 games, and four were inside the top five. Therefore, even going 3-4 was more than good enough for Nate Oats. In fact, the three ranked wins gave the coach enough confidence to state that they were better than anything an ACC team had done this season.

“We’ve had more top 25 wins in our last 7 games than any ACC school did the entire season,” said Oats.

This was a direct shot at the ACC, and the Duke squad too. Duke won 28 games, but only 2 wins (Auburn and Louisville) came against teams ranked in the AP Top 25. Furthermore, both wins came during nonconference play. Duke cannot be blamed for this, as the team cannot control what other teams on the other side of the court are ranked when playing. However, it did put into perspective how difficult Alabama’s close was before heading to the SEC Tournament in Nashville. A fact that Nate Oats wanted to make clear to everyone.

Going into March Madness, Alabama and Duke were more than just neutral competitors. Both teams were fighting to secure the one-seed to gain an advantage going into the single-elimination tournament. Duke was viewed as more of a lock, given its 28 games. Sure enough, the Blue Devils secure the one-seed, while Nate Oats’ squad was No. 2. Duke has led the all-time series with Alabama, 8-3, and has won all seven meetings with the Crimson Tide since 1956. The recent game marked the first clash between the teams in the NCAA Tournament. It was the perfect opportunity for Nate Oats to show how far the Alabama Crimson Tide squad has come.

If Nate Oats was prepared, then Jon Scheyer and his team also did not choose to take things lightly. During the game, Duke contested shot after shot, leaving Alabama with less space with which to work. The Blue Devils didn’t give many open looks whatsoever. By the first timeout, the Crimson Tide had averaged only .625 points per possession. Alabama improved from there, increasing to 1.057 by halftime. However, the issues continued in the second half, with Alabama going on a stretch of more than five minutes without a single point. It shot 9 for 30 from the field in the second half and 23 for 65 (35%). While Cooper Flagg did not give the team much trouble, they still faced issues from Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor, and Khaman Maluach. All in all, it was a night all Crimson Tide fans would like to forget.

Given the old claim, you would think that many would turn on Nate Oats at the moment. However, no matter what he said, the coach did help elevate the Alabama Crimson Tide to the Elite Eight. It is something for which he has the respect of several college basketball fans, including Charles Barkley.

Charles Barkley sent a heartfelt message to Nate Oats and the Alabama squad after the elimination

As the saying goes, “Never forget your roots”. Charles Barkley hasn’t. Even after a quarter century since his NBA retirement, the Philadelphia 76ers legend still keeps in touch with college basketball. There are two teams always on his radar. Auburn, since he himself is an alumnus of the Tigers, and Alabama, aka the team based in his hometown. Therefore, while everyone was busy giving Duke congratulatory messages, Barkley wanted to do the same but for the losing squad.

“I want to congratulate Alabama, Coach Oats, Mark Sears and that team. What they’ve been able to accomplish the last couple of years,” said Barkley. “Kenny (Smith) said something, he can’t believe that Alabama, Auburn are on the top of the food chain in basketball. I’m so proud of what we have accomplished in Alabama, with Auburn getting to the Final Four a couple years ago, with last year, Coach Oats getting that team to the Final Four.”

Amidst a 100-year tradition of championship football, Nate Oats was also able to put the college’s basketball team on the map. Three seasons ago, the squad was able to rise to the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, winning 31 games to reach the Sweet 16. Last year’s NCAA Tournament run put Alabama’s men’s squad in the Final Four for the first time. The women’s team had done it back in 1994. By doing all this, and taking Alabama to SEC regular-season and conference championships in his second season, Oats has created a worthwhile legacy even without winning an NCAA championship. “This has been a great ride for them the last couple of years, and I want to take time to acknowledge the great job Coach Oats and Mark Sears have done for the University of Alabama,” Barkley continued.

After the elimination, it remains to be seen what Nate Oats’s future will be. Whether he stays with Alabama or joins another team, one thing is clear. The coach should not make such premature remarks again.