Crimson Tide HC Nate Oats delivers brutal truth after loss vs. Ole Miss: "You have to deserve it"
On Tuesday, then-No. 5-ranked Alabama lost to the then-No. 21-ranked Ole Miss Rebels. Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats was not pleased with how his team played throughout the game.
Alabama had a 36-32 lead at halftime. However, they significantly regressed in the second half as the Rebels outscored them 42-28 to pull off the 74-64 upset on the road.
Oats had one word to describe the team's performance in the postgame press conference and explained why he felt that way.
“It’s disgusting, to be honest with you," Oats said. "With the amount of fifth-year seniors we have and the leadership that should be shown on this team, to have guys come in ready to play, it’s – look, it starts with me, because I’m supposed to be the one motivating these guys, and I obviously didn’t motivate them very well to make sure they’re ready. So, I’m gonna have to look in the mirror and see what I did and didn’t do.
“It’s not like we lost to a bad team. This is a really good team. They’re in first place. Them and Auburn are tied now for first place in the league. But we didn’t lose because they were just a far superior team tonight. I felt like we lost because they came ready to play, they brought energy, they brought effort, and we did not. That’s a frustrating way to lose.”
Nate Oats, Alabama rose in latest AP Top 25 poll
Despite the loss, it doesn't take away from the high-quality performances Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide have had throughout the regular season.
Alabama boasts a 14-3 record, including 3-1 in SEC play. Last week's display, going 2-0 after victories against South Carolina and Texas A&M, saw the team move up AP Top 25 Poll.
The Associated Press revealed the new rankings on Monday, with the Crimson Tide moving up to the No. 4 spot, only behind Auburn, Iowa State and Duke.
Their defeat to Ole Miss will likely drop them a few spots, but getting back to their winning ways would help soften the blow in next week's poll.
Nate Oats and the No. 4-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide will prepare for a heavyweight matchup on the road, as they'll face the No. 8-ranked Kentucky Wildcats at Rupp Arena on Saturday at noon ET.