Nate Oats didn't seem at all uptight Wednesday as he met with reporters ahead of Alabama basketball's appearance in the SEC Tournament. The Crimson Tide's buses were waiting outside Coleman Coliseum to take the team to Nashville, so the UA coach might have been pressed for time, but he wasn't pressed by the moment. As he spoke, more than 48 hours from the Crimson Tide's first tip-off, South Carolina and Arkansas were already in Nashville, trudging through Game 1.
There's a little pressure on the Razorbacks as they look to nail down a berth in the NCAA Tournament. There's a lot more pressure on Texas and Oklahoma, both of whom need a stronger SECT showing than Arkansas does to make a strong case for the NCAA selection committee.
But there's none, really, on Alabama .
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The Crimson Tide (24-7, 13-5 SEC) heads to Music City humming a winning tune. Having just knocked off the best team in the country on the road, its stakes in Nashville couldn't be much smaller. When your best-case scenario is a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and your worst-case scenario is a No. 2 seed, there's no cause for anxiety.
Steak behind one door, lobster behind the other.
Sure, it would be nice for Oats if an SEC Tournament championship vaulted his team into the Big Dance, but it's not at all causational to a deep NCAA Tournament run. For an indicator that conference tournament play isn't very predictive, one doesn't have to look far past Alabama. Oats' team got unceremoniously bounced by Florida in blowout fashion, 102-88, in its first SEC Tournament game last year, only to catch fire in the NCAA Tournament and reach the Final Four for the first time in program history. In the opposite vein, Oats' two teams that won SEC Tournament Championships didn't make it past the Sweet Sixteen.
"We also went one-and-done in Tampa, then went one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament too, so it's gone all different ways," Oats said.
True enough, any coach would rather see his team play three games well than one game poorly in revving up for a more important bracket. Three games in three days, which is Alabama's path to win the SEC tourney, isn't exactly easy on the legs for players who've by now blown past the 30-game mark of the season. Oats hedged a bit − his only uncomfortable moment in front of reporters Wednesday − when asked if rest ahead of the NCAA Tournament is as valuable as the momentum that comes from a strong conference tournament run.
But if that's the only question that puts a coach on his heels at this time of year, it's the sign of a fine season.
Reach Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X @chasegoodbread.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball under no pressure entering SECT, March Madness
