How Nate Oats prepared Alabama basketball for emotional game at Vanderbilt
There weren’t any pregame tears. That type of emotional relief had to wait until after the final whistle. Still, there were plenty of prayers and somber moments leading up to No. 4 Alabama’s 78-66 win over Vanderbilt on Tuesday night.
Nate Oats’ title at Alabama is head coach, but over the past few days, he’s served as somewhat of a counselor as well, helping his team cope with the tragic situation surrounding Darius Miles’ arrest for capital murder and the death of Jamea Jones Harris.
Miles, a former forward on this season’s Alabama basketball team, was one of two players arrested Sunday on charges of capital murder following a fatal shooting that resulted in the death of Harris, a 23-year-old mother of a 5-year-old. According to court documents revealed Monday, Miles was not the person who pulled the trigger. However, he provided the firearm to Michael Lynn Davis, who shot and killed Harris.
Heading into Tuesday night’s game, Oats admitted the situation at hand “wasn’t covered in the ‘Coaching Basketball’ class back in college,” stating that he leaned on several people to help him guide his players through an emotionally-challenging period. Those he turned to included Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne and team sports psychologist Brett McCabe as well as Arizona State coach Bobby Hurley, who Oats coached under at Buffalo.
“This is one you’ve got to get a really good feel for where your guys are at,” Oats told Crimson Tide Sports Network in his pregame interview. “Even going into the team meetings, you’ve got to kind of play it a little bit by ear and see where they’re at, where their heads are at, and kind of go from there.”
Oats also sought out former NFL linebacker Ray Lewis for his advice on the matter. Lewis and two of his friends were charged with murder in 2000 following the fatal stabbings of two men outside an Atlanta nightclub. Lewis’ murder charge was later dropped after he pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of obstructing justice in exchange for his testimony against his two friends.
“I just thought he’s been through, you know, a tragic situation,” Oats said during his postgame press conference. “One of the more mentally tough athletes in my time. His daughter went to Alabama, so I was able to get his number. I talked to him. He didn’t talk to the team or anything. But he kind of talked to me. He’s a man of faith as well. Just kind of told me to share a little word with him, pray with him. That’s what they need right now.”
Oats did just that, praying with the team while reading Bible scriptures, including Romans 8:28 which reads “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
“I mean this obviously doesn’t look like there’s any good in it, but we’re trying to use it to bring the team closer together,” Oats said. “It’s a tragic situation, and we feel awful for any part of what anybody in our program had to do with it. We’re trying our best to learn within the group, make better choices. We’re praying for Jamea and her family, her son especially. I mean, it’s heartbreaking she left a 5-year-old here. The whole situation needs a lot of prayer.”
Oats said there wasn't much emotional difference in the locker room leading into Tuesday’s game but noted he did see a few of his players break down following the final whistle.
“I think they’ve been battling some stuff,” Oats said. “We got a job to do, we’ve got to get to the game. Kind of got to the game, took care of business. And it’s almost like a big relief, the game’s over and we can kind of let out a sigh of relief. But I think the guys still need some time. They’re going to need a lot of time.”
Oats said Alabama players have been using the team’s counselors and will continue to do so moving forward. Alabama will travel to Missouri this weekend for a 5 p.m. CT tipoff Saturday inside Mizzou Arena.