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Nate Oats Called for Better Defense, and Alabama Basketball Responded
Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats has been pushing his team to become better defensively all season long. And on Saturday night, the Crimson Tide finally responded to his call.
After letting a 15-point second half lead slip away against the LSU Tigers earlier in the week, Oats made it clear that his team needed to be better on the defensive end of the court. “Our defense has got to improve,” Oats said in a press conference following the game. “Our defense just isn’t where it needs to be for us to compete for a championship.”
It seems that the message got through to his players, as they put together a dominant defensive performance in a 75-57 victory over the Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Tide held the Bulldogs to just 37% shooting from the field and forced 18 turnovers.
Alabama was able to disrupt Mississippi State’s offensive rhythm and get out in transition for easy baskets, something that Oats preaches constantly in practice. “We talk about offense all the time, but we need to work on our defense too,” Oats said after the game. “I think they bought in tonight. They’ve been practicing better, and I think it showed tonight.”
The change in defensive intensity was evident from the opening tip-off, as the Crimson Tide raced out to a 16-2 lead in the first five minutes of the game. They never looked back, leading wire-to-wire and never allowing Mississippi State to get within striking distance.
It wasn’t just the defensive effort that caught Oats’ attention, though. The team’s communication and energy on the court were also at a different level. “The communication was better,” Oats said. “They’re starting to believe that the energy and the communication is just as important on the defensive end as it is on the offensive end.”
With the win, Alabama improved to 15-4 on the season and 10-0 at home, sitting at the top of the SEC standings. The Crimson Tide are now looking like a legitimate contender in the conference and have their eyes set on making a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
If they continue to play defense like they did against Mississippi State, there’s no telling how far this team can go. And with Oats’ relentless focus on defensive improvement, the sky’s the limit for Alabama basketball.
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