By Josh 
Nate Oats Makes a Bold Statement with Benching Against South Carolina
Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats sent a strong message during Wednesday night’s blowout win over South Carolina. Less than three minutes into the second half, with his starters slacking on defense, Oats benched the entire starting lineup and swapped in a fresh five players from the bench.
At halftime, Alabama was cruising with a 45-28 lead. But after giving up six quick points (including easy buckets at the rim), plus a turnover and a foul, Oats had seen enough. He subbed out his starters and made it clear that defensive effort wasn’t optional.
When asked about it after the game, Oats didn’t hold back:
“That’s been building. We’ve had awful starts defensively in the second half… I’d had enough of it.”
Even with the new lineup, there were still some hiccups. A defensive lapse led to South Carolina’s Zachary Davis scoring an easy dunk after Alabama had just made a bucket. Oats immediately called timeout, stormed onto the court, and lit into freshman Derrion Reid for the mistake.
This wasn’t a one-time move. Oats followed up by making another sub shortly after, bringing in Houston Mallette for Reid. The changes paid off, as Alabama went on an 8-2 run to extend their lead to 20 points and cruise to victory.
Oats’ no-nonsense approach seems to be working. After a shaky start to the season, Alabama is on the rise, now ranked 8th in KenPom’s overall rankings. Their defense, which had been a weak spot, has climbed to 37th in efficiency—a big improvement after a disastrous game against North Dakota earlier in the season.
If Alabama keeps this upward trajectory, they’re poised to be a serious contender in March Madness, with a legitimate shot at going all the way. Oats clearly isn’t letting his team settle, and it’s paying off.