Following Yale's nail-biting upset win over Auburn on Friday, Alabama coach Nate Oats paid a visit to the Bulldogs locker room. A video of Oats walking into the locker room naturally circled the internet, interpreted by some fans as a troll of its biggest rival by the Alabama coach.

When asked about the locker room visit during media availability Saturday, Oats cleared the air. The visit had nothing to do with the Tigers' 78-76 loss to the Bulldogs but was instead rooted in some deja vu for Oats and Yale coach James Jones.

Oats and Jones have a longstanding relationship. Oats visited Jones in the locker room after he led Yale to its first NCAA Tournament win in school history in 2016. The Bulldogs defeated Baylor in Providence, Rhode Island.

"We played right after them," Oats said. "That was my first NCAA Tournament game at Buffalo, so I was obviously happy for Coach Jones then. Now we're back in the same building. We played right after them. They got their second win. I don't know where they're going to get sent next year but if they could maybe convince the committee if they're fortunate enough to make the tournament to send Alabama to play right behind them. They're 2-0 with Coach Oats following behind them in the tournament."

Oats and Jones relationship extends beyond locker room visits after Yale upsets. It helped Alabama land former forward Jordan Bruner in the transfer portal. After playing three seasons at Yale, Bruner became Alabama's starting center in 2020-21, helping the Crimson Tide reach the Sweet 16.

"I had known Coach Jones before that. Obviously we played [in] Providence together and just through the business," Oats said. "But he was great with Bruner's recruitment. So I had gotten to know him a lot better."

While Oats acknowledged that everybody wanted Yale's win over the Tigers to be the reason for dropping by the locker room, he said it actually reflects better on Alabama when other SEC teams win in the tournament. Only Alabama, Tennessee and Texas A&M managed to win its first round games in the Big Dance.

Oats was also asked about Auburn forward Chad Baker-Mazara, who was tossed from the Yale game less than three minutes in. Baker-Mazara thew an elbow at a Yale player and was called for a flagrant foul 2. Oats was asked about the call Friday, and said players have to keep their heads with the season on the line.

"We've had some issues like that in the past, too," Oats said. "Guys get emotional, knee-jerk reaction decision that it's not in the game of basketball, and it costs you. We had a player suspended for a game earlier this year, and it's not who we want to be and I know Coach [Bruce] Pearl, it's not what they want to be."

The player Oats is speaking of is Alabama forward Mohamed Wague, who was suspended for one game for elbowing a Florida player during Alabama's home win over the Gators on Feb. 21. Oats said he's talked with his players about maintaining composure and keeping the game between the lines.

"I had it happen at Buffalo," Oats said. We won three MAC tournament championships and were able to goto three NCAA tournaments in my four years there. The one year we didn't, we had a kid get a flagrant foul and it cost us in that game."

Baker-Mazara's ejection and Auburn's subsequent loss to Yale is a cautionary tale for what losing a player to an ejection can lead to when its win-or-go-home. Alabama will look to keep its composure and season alive when it faces Grand Canyon on Sunday in the round of 32.