Alabama head coach Nate Oats criticized his team’s mindset and leadership after it sleepwalked into a lion’s den on Tuesday, losing to Georgia 98-88 in Athens.
The loss to the Bulldogs came after an emotional 71-69 win over Tennessee in Knoxville on Saturday. The Crimson Tide had just two days of preparation for the midweek contest, which allowed room for complacency ahead of a game against a team looking to secure its spot in the Big Dance.
“We’ve got some young guys that have no idea what it takes to win at this level, particularly on the road,” Oats said postgame. “This was our last chance to get a good quality road win; we failed it.”
Tuesday was not the first instance this season where the Crimson Tide has eased off the gas after a big win. It fell to Purdue after downing St. John’s in New York and lost to Gonzaga following a crucial win over Illinois in Chicago.
“If you can’t turn around from a tough, mentally [and] physically exhausting game on Saturday and have yourself mentally ready to go on Tuesday, we [have] got a lot of growing up to do,” Oats said.
The Crimson Tide has secured a double bye in the SEC tournament next week but will still endure a grueling stretch if it is to win the tourney. The team’s lack of experience could hamper its success in March if it does not sharpen its focus.
Oats said that it is hard to win with players who “aren’t locked in ready to play on both sides of the ball.”
Oats and Alabama return to the hardwood at Coleman Coliseum on Saturday for the final time this season, hosting the Auburn Tigers on Senior Night. Tipoff is slated for 7:30 p.m. CT, and the game can be streamed on ESPN2.
