If you want to understand just how fast things can shift in college basketball, look no further than Nate Oats’ Alabama Crimson Tide. Just last week, fans were buzzing about how Alabama deserved to grab that No. 1 spot after big wins over Texas and Arkansas. And now? They’ve gone from being the second-best team in the nation to fourth!

This week kicked off with the most anticipated showdown between the number 1 and number 2 teams in the country, but for Alabama, it ended in total heartbreak. They were handed an 85-94 loss, and as if that wasn’t enough, things got worse for Nate Oats and his squad as they lost to No. 15 Missouri right after.

Nate Oats was clearly frustrated, and it was evident during the game against Missouri when he channeled his inner Bob Knight, earning a technical foul for slamming his whiteboard in frustration. He knew that with this loss, his hopes of securing a third SEC regular-season title were likely dashed. Oats didn’t hold back, making sure everyone knew exactly how he felt about the situation!

In the post game conference, Oats said, ” I just think they (Missouri) just wanted this game a little bit more tonight which is a little bit disappointing because we still had a lot riding on this game I mean we were still in full control of our destiny with the league championship and we no longer are.” 

Nate Oats may have given credit to the Tigers for their convincing win, but deep down, he knows his team could’ve won the game if they showed more desire. That was evident in the post game conference when he called out his front court players for not working hard to get those rebounds.

With just 5 games left and the league title now more or less out of reach, the pressure’s on to finish strong. A solid finish to the season could at least help patch up the wounds of what’s been a tough stretch for Alabama! But the road ahead is not easy at all. Let’s take a look at their upcoming games!

What’s next for Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide?

Not many teams have a stretch of games as tough as what Alabama’s got coming up! Their final five games are all against ranked teams, including number 17 Kentucky, number 21 Mississippi State, number 6 Tennessee, and end the stretch of games by facing the number 1 and 2 in the country Auburn and Florida.

They will be hosting the Kentucky Wildcats at the iconic Coleman Coliseum on the 22nd of February and just like Alabama , Kentucky have also won three of their last 5 games and as I write this have managed to take revenge on Vanderbilt by beating them 82-61 thanks to Otega Oweh’s 20 points.

With momentum swinging Kentucky’s way, it won’t be easy for Nate Oats’ squad to pull off a win. But despite that, ESPN is still giving Alabama a 70% chance of coming out on top. If they’re going to prove those odds right, they’ll need another big performance from Mark Spears who scored 35 points last game!

Nate Oats is fuming, and rightfully so. Watching the chance to go top in the rankings while taking control of the SEC league phase go away in a matter of just one week is certainly hard to take. But there’s no time to dwell on frustration as the toughest part of their schedule is staring them right in the face. Stay tuned for more updates!