Nate Oats says Alabama basketball gave SEC hoops 'big kickstart' even before NIL came around

Nate Oats says Alabama basketball gave SEC hoops ‘big kickstart’ even before NIL came around

Posted by author January 13, 2025 Basketball

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Over halfway through the regular season, Nate Oats has a good hold on Alabama basketball’s identity.

“We try to play fast, but we don’t want to be Hollywood,” he told ESPN’s “College GameDay” on Saturday. “Our guys play with a lot of freedom.”

Before the No. 5 Crimson Tide’s 94-88 win at No. 9 Texas A&M, Oats said Alabama (14-2) was a team that “wanted to get down and guard people,” although the Crimson Tide is still working on that part of the game as opponents like No. 22 Ole Miss, No. 7 Kentucky, Vanderbilt, LSU and No. 13 Mississippi State remain in January.

Folks who have watched Alabama since the Oats era began know that the Crimson Tide’s three-centric style and terms like “blue collar mentality.” Oats broke down what to expect from UA for those who are just now tuning in as the SEC continues to rise as a basketball league. But he set one thing straight when host Jay Williams asked what the “major difference between what things used to be and where they are right now” was for the conference.

Alabama basketball was ‘doing it’ before NIL changed game in SEC conference

“Obviously, the NIL helps, but we were doing it and changing it before NIL started at Alabama,” Oats said.

“We’ve won four championships, two regular-season and two tournament … the first two of those came our second year before there was any NIL,” Oats said.

NIL gave what Oats called a “big kickstart” to a conference that was already evolving.

Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.