Tag: Nate Oats

Alabama basketball firmly in the mix for Tennessee transfer F Jonas Aidoo

Alabama basketball in the mif for Tennessee transfer F Jonas Aidoo

[autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide are coming off of the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance, however, the team could look quite different next season. This is the new era of NIL and the transfer portal because Alabama replaced a majority of the roster as well as all three assistant coaches heading into the 2023-24 season. With [autotag]Mark Sears[/autotag] and [autotag]Grant Nelson[/autotag] in the NBA draft process and several other guys in the transfer portal, some roster spots are opening up.

If Sears and Nelson ultimately decide to leave those are bummers, but it is important to remember that not every departure is a loss. Especially when Oats has proven that he can find great players out of the transfer portal. Oats will certainly add some high-end talent to the roster in the coming weeks and months with one guy on his watch list being Jonas Aidoo of Tennessee.

Aidoo is a 6’11 forward with one more season of eligibility and started all 36 games for the Volunteers. In just shy of 25 minutes a game, Aidoo averaged 11.4 ppg and 7.3 rpg. The one thing the Tide missed ago was an athletic big, and Aidoo is the exact type of guy Oats likes for his system.

As of right now, it sounds like Aidoo is down to Alabama, Arkansas, Baylor and North Carolina.

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Alabama basketball forward Mohamed Wague enters the transfer portal

Alabama basketball loses its sixth player to the NCAA transfer portal

[autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team are fresh off the program’s first-ever Final Four run but that hasn’t stopped some of the Tide players from testing the waters in the NCAA transfer portal. On Tuesday, Alabama forward Mohamed Wague entered the portal.

Wague makes the sixth Crimson Tide hooper to enter the portal since the season concluded and spent just one season in Tuscaloosa after transferring to Alabama last summer from West Virginia.

The 6-foot-10, 225-pound forward saw action in 33 games where he averaged 8.5 minutes per contest. Wague averaged just 3.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks in his lone season with the Crimson Tide.

Stay connected to Roll Tide Wire for around-the-clock coverage of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

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Alabama G Latrell Wrightsell Jr. announces his return to Alabama in 2024-25

Alabama guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. set to use his additional year of eligibility and return to Tuscaloosa next season

[autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team received some great news this morning as guard Latrell Wrightsell Jr. announced his decision to use his final year of eligibility to return to Alabama next season. It still depends on who else comes back to the team and who Oats can land via the transfer portal, but Wrightsell will more than likely be a full-time starter next season after starting just 12 of 31 games in the 2023-2024 season.

Wrightsell dealt with a plethora of injuries all season long as he missed six games, but he was without question one of the most impactful players on the Crimson Tide roster. Despite never being fully healthy, Wrightsell was still able to average 8.9 points per game, 3.0 rebounds per game and 1.4 assists per game and in fact, he scored at least 10 points in 10 games for Alabama last year. Alabama was 10-0 in those contests.

After spending his first three seasons with Cal State Fullerton, there was a bit of an adjustment period to playing in Alabama’s up-tempo offense. However, come tournament time, he was as valuable as anyone not named Mark Sears or Grant Nelson.

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Alabama transfer forward Sam Walters commits to Michigan

Former Alabama forward Sam Walters has found his new home

Not long after [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team wrapped up its magical Final Four run to end the 2023-24 season, freshman forward Sam Walters entered his name into the NCAA transfer portal. On Monday, Walters announced his commitment to the Michigan Wolverines.

The former four-star recruit averaged 5.4 points and 2.4 rebounds per game this season for the Crimson Tide. He also shot 42.7% from the field and nearly 40% from three.

Walters is a native of The Villages, Florida, who chose the Wolverines over a final group of Ohio State, Louisville, and Kentucky.

His commitment was announced on X (formerly Twitter) by Joe Tipton of On3.

Stay connected to Roll Tide Wire for around-the-clock coverage of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

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Jay Wright and Nate Oats take their name out of the running for Kentucky job

Jay Wright and Nate Oats say they won’t be the next coach at Kentucky

Amid much speculation about what’s next for the Kentucky Wildcats after the departure of John Calipari, Jay Wright and Nate Oats have both quickly said they pass. Neither will be the next coach in Lexington.

Wright and Oats were both popular names put forward by analysts as possibilities for the job. Wright was the long-time coach at Villanova who won two championships there. He retired and is now covering the sport for CBS.

Oats is the current coach at Alabama, where he has had them in the Sweet Sixteen or better in three of the last four seasons. His style would have fit well with what Kentucky historically likes to do.

There are several more big names likely to be contacted by Kentucky in the coming days. There is certain to be coaches with interest along the way. However, it won’t be Jay Wright or Nate Oats. They are happy where they are at.

Nate Oats responds to the Kentucky head coaching job rumors

Alabama Crimson Tide basketball coach Nate Oats takes to social media to respond to rumors that he would be a candidate to replace John Calipari at Kentucky.

Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats was the center of rumors regarding the Kentucky Wildcats head coaching vacancy. With long-time coach John Calipari leaving for the Arkansas Razorbacks, there’s a need for a new head coach in Lexington, Kentucky.

Oats has spent five seasons in Tuscaloosa and has improved the program on the court, on the recruiting trail and in March each season. Just a few days ago, he led the Crimson Tide to its first-ever Final Four appearance.

Fans were conflicted online, with Alabama fans concerned that he’d jump at the opportunity, some Kentucky fans calling for Oats to be the primary candidate, and others considering him a legitimate option for the job.

Nate Oats is not leaving. In a post shared to social media, Oats addresses the Crimson Tide faithful,

“I am fully committed to this team and to this university. We have already accomplished some great things here, and there is nothing I want more than for The University of Alabama to win its first national championship in men’s basketball. Despite any rumors to the contrary, rest assured that I will continue that pursuit as your head coach.”

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama basketball news as it becomes available.

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Paul Finebaum believes Nate Oats to Kentucky is a real possibility

Could Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats be on the move to Kentucky? Paul Finebaum believes it’s a possibility.

Just days after leading the Alabama Crimson Tide basketball program to its first-ever Final Four appearance, there are rumors that he could be on his way out of Tuscaloosa. With John Calipari leaving the Kentucky Wildcats for the Arkansas Razorbacks job, there is an intriguing job opening in Lexington.

This coaching carousel is still in the early stages and began when the first domino fell of Eric Musselman left Arkansas for the head coaching position for the USC Trojans.

Alabama and Oats recently reached an agreement on a long-term contract extension that features a buyout of over $18 million, but that steep price may not be an issue for Kentucky.

ESPN SEC commentator Paul Finebaum recently stated that the Wildcats saved a lot of money by not firing Calipari, and that they may be willing to dig into their pockets to bring in a coach that can change the program for the better.

The athletics department would not have to look very far, as Oats is in the SEC and is undoubtedly one of the hottest names in college basketball at the moment.

“The one you have to keep your eye on, we just saw SEC to SEC, Keep your eye on Nate Oats. He just took Alabama – yes, Alabama – to the Final Four for the first time in history. The only issue, he just got a new contract from Greg Byrne, the athletic director, and Greg Byrne put in a $20 million buyout.”

With the news of Calipari’s departure still fresh, there has yet to be any official word on the possibility of Oats being contacted by the Kentucky athletic department. For now, it’s all speculation, but it’s hard to believe that Oats wouldn’t be on a short list of possible targets for the Wildcats.

Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Nate Oats and the possibility of losing him to Kentucky as more news and reports become available.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM. 

Top images from Alabama’s battle against UConn in the Final Four

Alabama’s memorable March Madness run has come to an end. Relive the excitement from the game against UConn in the Final Four.

The Alabama Crimson Tide had a memorable and unprecedented March Madness run that culminated in the program’s first-ever Final Four appearance. However, head coach [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and his team couldn’t get beyond the extremely well-rounded UConn Huskies to advance to the national championship game against Purdue.

This year’s Alabama team was heavily doubted heading into the 2023-2024 regular season, as the roster had high turnover, the coaching staff was basically brand new across the board and the defense took a significant step in the wrong direction.

Nobody expected the Crimson Tide to be as dominant as they were in March, and yet they shocked the nation, their fans, and everyone but themselves by making it to the Final Four.

Photo gallery from Alabama vs. UConn in the Final Four of March Madness

Alabama’s Final Four run comes to an end with 86-72 loss to UConn

The Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball had its Final Four run cut short with a 86-72 loss to the UConn Huskies in the semifinal matchup

The magical run for [autotag]Nate Oats[/autotag] and the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball team came to an end on Saturday night with a tough 86-72 loss to the UConn Huskies in the Final Four.

The final score does not indicate how close the game actually was, but UConn’s talent, depth, and championship pedigree were on full display down the stretch.

Mark Sears led the Tide with 24 points while Grant Nelson played a tough and physical game with 19 points and 15 rebounds.

Alabama will head back to Tuscaloosa with plenty to build on in the future as Coach Oats has the Crimson Tide rolling in the right direction.

Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Stacey Blackwood on X (Twitter) @Blackwood89.

Alabama basketball releases high-energy Final Four trailer

Not ready for the Final Four of March Madness? Watch this trailer by Alabama basketball as the team prepares to take on UConn and you’ll be ready to take the court alongside them.

The day has come for the college basketball national championship matchup to be decided. As the NC State Wolfpack take on the Purdue Boilermakers and the Alabama Crimson Tide take on the UConn Huskies in the Final Four of the 2024 March Madness Tournament.

Though Alabama is not the favorite in this matchup, with even the staff at Roll Tide Wire being split on score predictions, the team seems ready to roll.

As Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats has said during this week, there’s not much stress on his team. They feel as if they are playing with house money. They are happy to be where they are at but don’t feel the pressure that UConn likely faces to get to the national championship game. That ease of mind could be a real game changer when it comes time to tip-off.

On social media, Alabama basketball shared a trailer for the game against the Huskies and it has fans ready to line up alongside the team to take the court.

Narrated by Alabama alum and ESPN personality Rece Davis, the Crimson Tide is ready to roll into the Final Four with the mentality of ‘Why stop now?’