Undoubtedly, the University of Alabama men’s basketball team is continuing to elevate and make their presence known in the NCAA Division I conference. The team has come from ranked below 25 in 2019, to ranked top 25, to number six, and now winning the SEC Championship.
Even though Alabama lost one of its star players, Kira Lewis Jr., who was drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans. That did not stop the powerhouse from returning and dominating this season. Players such as John Petty Jr. and Herb Jones are household names due to their drive and ambition throughout their time at Alabama. Jones, who holds a career-high of 21-points, completed his fourth double-double of the season against the Tennessee Vols on Saturday afternoon.
Of course, the success of the team does not completely stand on the shoulders of its outstanding players, but also on its head coach, Nate Oats.
Since Oats’ arrival in 2019, his promise to elevate the team so far has not let the Crimson Tide down. During Oats’ first season, the Crimson Tide went 16-15 in the regular season and 8-10 in conference. Unfortunately the team was unable to reach the SEC tournament last year due to the pandemic which resulted in game cancellations.
For Oats and the Crimson Tide, there was no time to be upset. This only meant that the overtime would start. In this current season, Alabama is 23-6 in the regular season and 16-2 in conference play. Not only that but the team is ranked number six in NCAA and is projected to be the number two seed in March Madness.
On March 14, the Crimson Tide made its first appearance in the SEC Championship game since 2002 against LSU. With that the team ended Alabama’s 30-year drought and brought home the title of SEC Champions, making it the seventh in program history.