baskeAlabamatball’s SEC Tournament run ended with a brutal 104-82 loss to Florida in the semifinals, and head coach Nate Oats didn’t sugarcoat his disappointment.

The Crimson Tide were right in it at halftime, trailing by just two, but they collapsed in the second half, putting to rest any hopes of securing a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. It was a frustrating setback, especially after Alabama had recently knocked off top-ranked Auburn and crushed Kentucky 99-70.

But for the second time in 10 days, Florida exposed Alabama’s biggest flaw—its inconsistency, particularly on defense. While the Tide have the talent for a deep March Madness run, their effort hasn’t always been reliable. That’s what concerns Oats the most heading into the tournament.

“Our players are going to have to really determine how bad they want to make a run,” Oats said. “With the effort and the toughness I saw the second half tonight, that’s not going to get us very far.”

By Loveth

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