TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Nate Oats did not think No. 4 Alabama’s effort was up to par in its 74-64 loss to Ole Miss. The Crimson Tide were out-scrapped and fell apart in key areas to drop its first game in Southeastern Conference play.
Oats sent a strong message after the game, calling the team’s performance “disgusting.” He also said he planned on talking with the veteran members of the Tide’s roster to figure out why his side wasn’t ready to play Tuesday.
“With the amount of fifth-year seniors we have and the leadership that should be shown on this team, to have guys come in ready to play — it starts with me, because I’m supposed to be the one motivating these guys and I obviously didn’t motivate them very well to make sure they’re ready.”
Alabama has five fifth-year players in Mark Sears, Grant Nelson, Clifford Omoruyi Chris Youngblood and Latrell Wrightsell Jr., who is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles. The four available fifth-year players combined for 31 points and 10 turnovers, while none had a positive box plus-minus rating against the Rebels.
It was a night to forget for Alabama’s veterans and the team as a whole. But Oats said the response over the past few days is encouraging. He also wants to see the group become even more vocal as SEC play continues.
“I think they owned it,” Oats told reporters Friday. “They didn’t have the team ready to go. They know that they can’t do it again. They’re great kids. They’re all, with the exception of Youngblood they’re all a little more quiet, reserved. Not necessarily in their play. You see Grant, Cliff make a bunch of tough plays. Sears is super physical, tough.
“But the three of those guys are a little bit more quiet and reserved and we can’t have that. They need to speak up. They need to make sure their presence is felt.”
More vocality from the Tide’s senior leaders will be crucial as Alabama looks for a response against a skilled No. 8 Kentucky side on Saturday. The Wildcats run one of the highest-scoring and most efficient offenses in the county and have yet to drop a game at home this season.
After sleepwalking against Ole Miss, Oats said the team had a solid practice Friday and an even better one Thursday as it shifted focus to how to slow Kentucky’s five double-digit scorers. While a home loss to a good but beatable Rebels side is far from ideal for Alabama’s SEC title hopes, Oats is hoping a wake-up call this early into league play can have positive ramifications for the Tide long-term.
“That was the first loss in conference,” Oats said. “We had some losses earlier. One of those was a road game at Purdue and the other one Trelly went out. So this is the first time we’ve lost with the group of guys. that’s going to be finishing the year out minus Derrion obviously. So I think it did give us a wake-up call. I think we maybe overlooked Ole Miss a little bit, which I don’t know how that’s possible they were 3-0 and they’ve beaten good teams. Maybe just the history of some of these guys that have been here. We haven’t lost to Ole Miss since I’ve been here until then. So, I don’t know if they thought that’s why. I just told them ‘If you overlook anybody in this league, you’re gonna take an L.’
Alabama suffered a setback due to a lack of effort against the Rebels. Its next performance against an even more quality team away from home will show just how well the players, especially the fifth-year seniors, answered Oats’ calls for stranger leadership to create a more positive result on the court.
“They need to make sure they themselves are ready to go and then they gotta make sure the team is ready to go as the leaders on this team,” Oats said. “So, I think they know it. I think they owned it. I think that we’ll see a different team on Saturday.”
Alabama and Kentucky will faceoff at 11 a.m. CT Saturday inside Rupp Arena. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.
