Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats knew exactly what to say to fire up his squad after their Sweet 16 win over North Carolina.
The Crimson Tide outlasted the Tar Heels 89-87 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles and punched their ticket to the Elite Eight. The celebration in the locker room was oh, so sweet for Alabama players and supporters.
Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach Nate Oats Had A Subtle North Carolina Diss During Celebration
Oats went viral on X for a brief clip of him addressing his team in the locker room after the win over North Carolina. The veteran coach poured a little bit of salt in the fresh wounds of the Tar Heels, much to the delight of his players and staff.
“We’re one win away [from the Final Four]. And guess what? The fellas at Chapel Hill, they don’t have practice tomorrow,” Oats said, which was met by rapturous applause.
"The fellas in Chapel Hill? They don't have practice tomorrow." 😳
Nate Oats got the Tide fired up in the locker room 🔥#MarchMadness @AlabamaMBB pic.twitter.com/3RmjNyjuOI
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 29, 2024
Oats probably had a riveting pregame speech as well behind closed doors given that several of his players stepped up against North Carolina. Four different players scored at least 18 points in the contest.
Senior forward Grant Nelson had the biggest game of his life, matching his season high with 24 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field. He also added 12 rebounds and went 10-of-13 from the free throw line. He also shut the door on the Tar Heels defensively with 5 blocks — including two in the closing seconds.
The Alabama Crimson Tide Are 1 Win Away From Making Program History
Oats said it himself during his locker room message — Alabama is one win away from the Final Four. While Alabama is known for football excellence, basketball has lagged behind in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide men’s basketball team has never made a Final Four in program history.
In all fairness to what this year’s Alabama squad has already achieved, the team has now made the Elite Eight for just the second time in school history. That is an achievement in of itself. They’ve made ten Sweet 16 appearances and have only advanced twice.
But after knocking off a 1-seed and basketball powerhouse in North Carolina, Oats and his squad clearly have their sights set on unprecedented territory for Alabama basketball.
