March Madness is all about surprises, and unfortunately for Alabama, the surprise came a little too early—and not in a good way. The Florida Gators crushed the Crimson Tide’s hopes for an SEC title in a brutal 104-82 loss. Now, head coach Nate Oats isn’t just nursing his wounds—he’s also looking at nearly a million dollars in incentives that just got a whole lot harder to earn.

Alabama entered the SEC tournament with high hopes. They had a strong 25-8 record and strong dreams of adding a third title to their resume in just five years. For the first half of their semifinal game against Florida, things weren’t looking too bad. They trailed by just two points at halftime, a manageable deficit. After that, they even took a 48-47 lead, thanks to Chris Youngblood’s three-pointer. And then? Well, let’s just say that all Florida needed was 9 minutes for the caffeine to kick in. The Gators clocked in a 30-11 run, seizing all the momentum.

 Seeing their opponent’s second-half performance, even the Head Coach, Nate Oats, had strong words for the team. After the trouncing at Bridgestone Arena, Nate Oats spoke to the media and explained that what his team lacked was not on the stats sheet. It was the intangibles and the fundamentals where the Gators were able to beat the Crimson Tide for their fifth consecutive win.

“Florida’s a very good team,” he began. “We want to be the hardest playing, toughest team on the floor. We were not today, particularly in the second half. Thought they made a lot of tough plays. Started out of the gate in the second half with the boards in the first possession. I don’t think we competed hard enough on our rebounds. We didn’t do a good enough job on defense”. Praising Florida with a sense of astonishment, he further said, “They started the second half on a 17-5 run the first five and a half minutes. That’s not what we expected out of this group”. 

Despite their SEC misstep, Alabama still has a shot at redemption in the NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday will determine their bracket fate, and Oats is already trying to rally his troops. “We’re going to have to regroup, see how bad we want to try to make a run again in the NCAA tournament this year. We’ll find out where we get sent, who our opponents are tomorrow. Try to regroup.“

And, of course, apart from pride and the prestige of winning, there are financial implications for the 50-year-old coach. Before this season, he led Bama to two SEC titles and made two Sweet 16 appearances, and last year, he signed a new contract that runs until 2030. With that contract, there are new perks for Nate Oats. For winning the NCAA title, the head coach could pocket an extra $500,000. Even if the team loses, he is guaranteed $300,000. The rest of the amount is $25,000 each for the round of 32 appearance, round of 16 appearance, round of eight, and the Final Four. The remaining $50K is for making it to March Madness. If that’s not motivation, we don’t know what is.

Can Alabama turn it around?

The good news? Alabama has talent. Chris Youngblood and Mouhamed Dioubate have been standouts this season, and if Grant Nelson—who sat out the SEC semifinal with a leg injury—can return at full strength, the Crimson Tide could still make a deep run. The bad news? If they play defense in the NCAA Tournament the way they did against Florida, their March Madness journey might end faster than you can imagine.

To understand Alabama’s chances, it’s crucial to look at their overall season performance. The Crimson Tide ranks in the top 10 nationally in offensive efficiency, averaging over 91.4 points per game. Mark Sears has been their leading scorer, putting up 19 points per contest while managing a 40% FG. Their offense isn’t the issue—it’s their defense that raises concerns that allows an average of 80.7 points per game.

“Defense wins championships” isn’t just a cliché; it’s a proven March Madness formula. As per 247Sports, since 2002, every March Madness National Champion has finished the season ranked in the Top-40 in Kenpom’s Adjusted Offensive Efficiency and Top-25 in Adjusted Defensive Efficiency.

Still, Oats has proven he can rally his team when it matters most. Just last year, Alabama entered the tournament as a No. 1 seed and made a strong run before falling in the Sweet 16. So, we are hoping that maybe he will join that list of exceptions that shine bright. After all, before the start of the season, Alabama basketball earned praise for having one of the deepest rosters in program history and possibly the country.

Still, there is a lot of work to do for Nate Oats in order to make his team a contender. That’s why he was wondering if Alabama has the toughness and the effort to make a run in March Madness. The Crimson Tide coach’s words surely sting his players now. But it might inspire the team for the March Madness.