"We've got to rebound better": Nate Oats spills beans on Alabama's gameplan in halftime break against Charleston
The first-round matchup pitting No. 4 Alabama against No. 13 Charleston has been a strong showing for the Crimson Tide squad. But, head coach Nate Oats believes that the team has significant areas to grow upon.
At halftime, they hold a 51-34 lead over the Cougars but the head coach isn't happy with the result just yet. According to him, the score and his team's performance could be improved if the team does a better job at rebounding the basketball.
Talking to the Crimson Tide Sports Network at halftime, Nate Oats revealed what Alabama needed to improve on entering the second half:
"We rebound, we're good...We got to take care of the ball on offense. If we take care of it, and get a shot up, we've been good...We've got to rebound better."
Already, Charleston is enjoying a 13-6 lead as far as offensive rebounds are concerned. Despite shooting just 14-of-42 from the field, those second-chance points have told the story of the game. Taking a subtle shot at his opponent's offense, Oats wasn't sure if they could score beyond the second-chance points discrepancy:
"The only way they're really scoring is on second-chance points... If they don't get an offensive rebound, they haven't been scoring really."
What has Alabama firmly in the driver's seat?
Talking to TruTv, Coach Oats wasn't shy in calling out his team, either. But, to him, it was the impact of Mohammed Wague and Mouhamed Dioubate that changed the script for the Crimson Tide.
While the two off-the-bench pieces have contributed with just two points so far, Oats highlighted how their impact on the team's pace and transition offense was instrumental in building the lead:
"We didn't let our offensive struggles impact our D. We were getting stops, we just couldn't get the rebounds to close. We did a better job rebounding. I thought Mo and Mo, both of them, came in and kind of changed the impact of the game.
"They made some tough plays and got us out in transition, and we were able to attack the rim in transition."
With a 17-point lead going into half-time and Mark Spears already up to 25, the Alabama Crimson Tide should be able to put this one away, barring a calamity.
Will a renewed focus on rebounding by Nate Oats and his boys further help the Crimson Tide squad? Let us know in the comments below.