Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide take a well-earned break after a tough regular season. The team secures the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament, finishing 13-5 in conference and 23-8 overall, behind champion Florida but ahead of Arkansas and Vanderbilt.
All of these programs received a double-bye and will skip the first two rounds on Wednesday and Thursday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Additionally, Oats shared positive news about the team’s health heading into the SEC Tournament.
Nate Oats Addresses Alabama’s Health Status Going Into the SEC Tournament
Oats discussed his players’ current health status ahead of the SEC Tournament. He told On3 senior writer Charlie Potter that everyone is healthy and ready for the knockout rounds in Nashville.
Potter posted on X: “Nate Oats says ‘nobody is injured’ before Alabama heads to Nashville for the 2026 SEC Tournament.”
The Crimson Tide clinched the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament after beating Auburn 96-84 last Saturday at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa. Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway each scored 21 points. Oats’ team took a 22-point first-half lead and never trailed. Alabama rebounded from its previous loss to Georgia.
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The team has won nine of its last 10 games, including victories over Tennessee, Auburn (twice), and Arkansas in double overtime after a 4-4 start. Alabama moved into second place, surpassing the Razorbacks by the end of the SEC season.
Alabama now waits for the winner of Georgia and Ole Miss. The Rebels beat the Texas Longhorns 76-66 in the first round.
Nate Oats’ Alabama Remains Prominent In NET Rankings, KenPom Ratings
After sweeping Auburn, Alabama secured the second seed in the SEC Tournament, strengthening its Top-20 NET ranking and Ken Pomeroy Ratings. With these achievements, the team now heads into the SEC Tournament and awaits Selection Sunday.
At the end of the regular season, the Crimson Tide held the No. 17 spot in the NET Rankings. Alabama posted records of 7-7 against Quadrant 1 opponents, 9-1 against Quadrant 2, 5-0 against Quadrant 3, and 2-0 against Quadrant 4. The team recorded a 12-3 mark at home, 7-3 on the road, and 4-2 at neutral sites across 31 games.
Alabama ranks one spot above Arkansas in the NET. Vanderbilt ranks ahead of Alabama. All three teams are vying for an NCAA Tournament bid.
In the latest KenPom Ratings, Alabama climbs to No. 14 with an overall rating of +26.16, slightly higher than its previous rating of +26.15. The team posts an offensive rating of 129.9, ranking third in the nation behind Illinois and Purdue. The Crimson Tide’s defensive rating falls three spots to No. 69, registering at 103.7.
Alabama has reached the last five NCAA Tournaments with Oats designing plays. The Crimson Tide will likely make it six straight this season. Their SEC Tournament performance will help the selection committee determine their NCAA seeding. Oats has a healthy lineup to contend for an automatic bid and a higher seed.
