"Not a lot missing in the recruiting pitch": Nate Oats brags about his success with Alabama ahead of Final Four vs UConn
Nate Oats led Alabama to its first Final Four appearance following the Crimson Tide's 89-82 victory over the Clemson Tigers in the Elite Eight. This marked a big step for the program, as they will now compete against UConn on Saturday for a place in the 2024 NCAA Tournament championship game on Monday.
Ahead of the highly anticipated encounter, Oats bragged about his transformative success in Tuscaloosa. Having been the most successful Southeastern Conference team since he arrived in 2019, the coach believes there's not much missing in how the Crimson Tide have recruited under him.
“Since I got to the SEC, they've given out nine trophies, I think we have four of them," Nate Oats said Friday. "We've won those championships, we've got an offense, we put guys in the pros. Now we're competing on the national stage, in the Final Four to win the national championship. So, there's not a lot missing in the recruiting pitch."
Nate Oats talks player improvement at Alabama
Alabama has built a strong identity in basketball since Nate Oats arrived in Tuscaloosa. The school has become one of the fastest-growing programs, producing top players for the NBA. Oats wasn’t shy about mentioning this in his press conference:
“If kids don't want to be part of our winning team, I don't want to take them. We've had one of the most modern and recruitable offenses in the country over the last five years.
“We did a study. We've improved our guys' draft stock more than anybody in the country in the last five years. We've got the NBA deal, we've had more lottery picks than anybody in the country. We've got the offense going. We've won it at a high level.”
Alabama has seen a host of its players get drafted to the NBA every year since Nate Oats’ tenure began. Brandon Miller was selected as the second-overall pick in the 2023 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets, becoming the highest-drafted Crimson Tide player in history.
Can Alabama win the national championship?
Alabama has witnessed significant progress in the last couple of seasons under Nate Oats, and a national championship success would be a worthy way to crown the effort. However, that won’t be an easy ride for the Crimson Tide, despite all they’ve achieved.
The Crimson Tide are set to face defending champion UConn in the Final Four for a place in the championship game. The Huskies have been one of the best teams in the nation this season and pose a big threat to Alabama. Nonetheless, Bama can’t be written off so easily.