TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Following Alabama’s win over Texas, Nate Oats said his team’s turnovers were becoming a major concern. The Crimson Tide has averaged 16 turnovers in its last four games and despite ranking No. 2 in adjusted offensive efficiency according to KemPom, ranks No. 253 in non-steal turnover percentage.

Oats was straightforward in his response to a question about the Tide’s turnover troubles Friday ahead of Alabama’s clash against No. 1 Auburn. While the giveaways overall are a concern, a larger one is the fact that the turnovers are mainly coming from two of the Tide’s most experienced players.

“We need Mark Sears and Grant Nelson to stop turning the ball over,” Oats said. “That’s what needs to happen. We’ve got two fifth-year seniors that have played in over 100 basketball games that know how to take care of the ball that have not taken care of the ball at the level we need them to.”

Both Sears and Nelson remain Alabama’s top two scorers and have been go-to players in clutch situations. But they also lead the team in turnovers and some concerning trends have emerged for both players that Oats is looking to nip as the Tide enters the gauntlet final stretch of its conference schedule.

Sears has averaged three giveaways per game since the start of conference play and has a combined 15 in the last three games. The veteran guard is an elite driver but has made some questionable choices driving into a wall of defenders or getting into the lane and leaving his feat to find a pass, only to find no available options, leading to a giveaway.

Nelson has averaged 2.1 turnovers in SEC play. The South Dakota State transfer had one of his best performances of the season in the first half of Alabama’s win over Kentucky and was instrumental in the Tide’s road victory with 25 points. However, Nelson committed four turnovers in the second half alone and ran into foul trouble. Though he's been able to take an increased offensive role with the addition of Clifford Omoruyi, Nelson's turnovers are up to 2.1 from just 1.4 last season.

“If you look at the turnover rates between those two guys they’re just way too high,” Oats said. “We gotta quit trying to make home run plays. We gotta quit over-driving gaps that aren’t there. We’ve gotta get the ball out of our hands earlier. We’ve got to make the appropriate reads whether its pick and roll, drive reads, elbow catch reads with Grant. But if those two guys can significantly reduce their turnovers then the team turnover rate would come down and look a lot more like what we need it to look like.”

If there is a game for Sears and Nelson to make the adjustments Oats is calling for, it’s Saturday. Auburn doesn’t generate a bevy of turnovers but still ranks No. 17 in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency and No. 33 in points off turnovers. More critically, unforced giveaways will put Alabama in an unnecessary hole against a team that rarely gives the ball up. Auburn ranks No. 2 in the country in non-steal turnover percentage, combining discipline with depth at scoring to run the most efficient offense in the country.

“Hopefully, they understand the gravity of live ball turnovers against Auburn that kind of ignite their break and get them going,” Oats said. “We just can’t afford any of them and we need those two guys as fifth-year senior captains to understand the importance of it and take care of the ball tomorrow.”