Alabama
Nate Oats reacts to setting Alabama basketball record for Top 25 wins
No. 4 Alabama‘s 96-83 win over No. 17 Kentucky on Saturday was historic for several reasons, especially for sixth-year head coach Nate Oats.
The victory was the Crimson Tide’s eighth against an AP Top 25 opponent this season, setting a program record for most AP wins in a single season, and also marked Oats’ 26th career win over a ranked opponent since arriving in Tuscaloosa, surpassing legendary Alabama coach Wimp Sanderson for the program mark.
“Honestly, Wimp did a really good job here, but I’m guessing the SEC is a lot better now, so there’s a lot more opportunities to get Top 25 wins than he probably had,” Oats said in his postgame press conference Saturday. “But when they give you the opportunity and you take advantage of them and try to get it done. We don’t have enough because we had a chance to get two more in the last two games before this and we didn’t come up with them.”
As Oats mentioned, prior to Saturday’s win over No. 17 Kentucky, the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide had dropped back-to-back games against No. 1 Auburn (94-85) and No. 15 Missouri (110-98). Saturday’s victory over the Wildcats improved Alabama’s record against Top 25 teams to 8-4 on the season.
Of course, it doesn’t get any easier as the Tide close out the regular season against four Top 25 teams, beginning with Tuesday’s home game against No. 21 Mississippi State (19-8, 7-7), which it already beat 88-84 on Jan. 29 in Starkville. Alabama then travels to face No. 6 Tennessee (22-5, 9-5) in Knoxville next Saturday before hosting No. 2 Florida (24-3, 11-3) on March 5 with a regular-season finale at No. 1 Auburn (25-2, 13-1) on March 8.
“I think it does speak to the level of the SEC as a whole that now we have all these (Top 25) opportunities. I mean, every team we play the rest of the year is a Top 25 team, so I’m guessing Wimp didn’t have as many opportunities as we’ve had,” Oats continued. “But you also have to go win them, so a lot of credit to our guys here — Herb (Jones) is in the building tonight and today getting rehab on his shoulder, and Herb got it this thing going for us. … A lot of players that stepped up in big-time games throughout the years, and now a lot of opportunities to get Top 25 wins. So a combination of the two, it’s a good time for basketball in the state of Alabama.”
Nate Oats compares final stretch of season to NCAA Tournament
Alabama‘s final stretch of the regular season may prove to be the toughest after drawing Top 25 matchups in each of their final seven games before postseason play.
“I don’t know if anybody’s played one, two and six in the three-game stretch anywhere in the country this year, let alone to close the year out,” Oats said after the Kentucky win. “But we needed this one tonight. And we’re not going to focus on Tennessee until we get through with Mississippi State. And we’re not going to focus on Florida until we’re through with Tennessee.
“We’ve just got to take it one at a time. The good thing with playing a schedule like this is you’re not going to play three games in a row like that until you get to the Elite Eight, Final Four, championship game, if we’re fortunate enough to get that far. So we’re literally playing three teams that are going to be one or two seeds back to back to back, and Mississippi State’s playing for a good seed in the NCAA Tournament, too.”
Currently, the Crimson Tide is tied for second place in the SEC standing with Florida. Both sit two games back of Auburn for the top spot in the conference.
“Outside of maybe the SEC Tournament, we’re not going to see three teams like this until maybe an Elite Eight, Final Four, if we’re fortunate enough to get there,” Oats said. “So at least we’ll have some experience playing very good teams back to back to back.”
On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this report.
Alabama
3 Alabama players who helped their draft stock at 2026 NFL combine
Each player had a pivotal role on the Crimson Tide in 2025.
Alabama had a multitude of former players who performed at an elite level at the NFL combine this past weekend.
Former Alabama star quarterback Ty Simpson was among those who put his talents on full display in Indianapolis, as Simpson continues to emerge as a top quarterback prospect available in April’s draft.
Numerous Crimson Tide stars on both sides of the football were able to have an excellent showing at the combine as well, with each playmaker a vital component to the Tide’s success in 2025.
Here are three Alabama players who helped their draft stock rise at the NFL combine.
Ty Simpson, Quarterback
Simpson is widely regarded as the best quarterback prospect available outside of Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza. The talented redshirt junior put on an absolute show at the NFL combine, as Simpson delivered multiple perfect throws and put his talents on full display throughout Saturday’s events.
The former Alabama star is a candidate to potentially shine day one in his campaign in the NFL, as Simpson’s draft stock continues to rise prior to April.
Jam Miller, Running Back
Miller is an extremely fast and athletic running back, despite struggling in the Tide’s backfield last season. The star running back recorded an impressive 4.43u 40-yard dash time, as Miller could very easily shine in the NFL next season with consistent playing time.
Miller was nothing short of elite throughout his entire performance at the combine in Indianapolis, as the former Tide running back continues to rise in a multitude of draft rankings around the football world.
Kadyn Proctor, Offensive Tackle
Proctor played a crucial role on Alabama’s offensive line last season. The star lineman reportedly slimmed down prior to the NFL combine, as Proctor displayed elite speed and athleticism throughout Sunday’s combine in Indianapolis.
Proctor is widely expected to be a mid-to-late first round selection in April, as the talented lineman’s efforts during the combine could quickly begin to work in Proctor’s favor during next month’s draft.
The 2026 NFL draft will take place in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania starting on April 23, as each Crimson Tide star will look to shine throughout their rookie campaign in the NFL.
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion.
Alabama
Husband, 19, fatally shot wife, 24, himself at Alabama hospital moments after welcoming their first child
A husband fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself at an Alabama hospital just moments after they welcomed their first child on Sunday.
Kynath Terry Jr., 19, gunned down 24-year-old Precious Johnson before fatally shooting himself inside the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital around 9:30 p.m. Sunday night, WTVM 13 reported.
Johnson delivered a healthy baby just before she was murdered. It’s not immediately clear if the baby was present during the shooting, but police said that Terry and Johnson were the only ones injured.
Terry’s mother told the outlet that the couple were having some marital issues leading up to Johnson’s due date, but nothing that made her fear her son would become violent.
She told the outlet that Terry completed Army National Guard training before tying the knot with Johnson.
She noted that Johnson didn’t want Terry’s side of the family at the hospital for her child’s birth, but it’s unclear if anyone from the mother-to-be’s own family was there.
The hospital was plunged into a lockdown “out of an abundance of caution” while police investigated reports of a shooting. It wasn’t lifted until hours later when they determined there was “no active threat to patients, team members or the public,” the outlet reported.
The Homewood Police Department described the tragedy as “an apparent murder-suicide and is domestic in nature.”
Danne Howard, the president of the Alabama Hospital Association, told the outlet that the chilling attack “was an isolated incident” unlike anything she’d encountered during her three decades working in the state.
Howard said, in the wake of the tragedy, the Baptist Health Brookwood Hospital would undergo a security overhaul implementing “lessons learned” from a mandated after-action report.
Just three months ago, in a town six miles outside of Homewood, a beloved sports reporter was fatally shot by her husband before taking his own life. Their 3-year-old son, who was unharmed, led his grandfather to his parents’ bodies.
Alabama
Air Force base security tightens, AL reacts after attacks in Iran
Hegseth on Iran: ‘This is not Iraq. This is not endless.’
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said operations on Iran won’t be “endless” like Iraq.
The United States and Israel-led attacks on Iran are having an impact in Central Alabama.
The military actions that began Saturday targets the military forces of Iran and the nation’s ability to build nuclear weapons.
In Montgomery, Maxwell Air Force Base and Gunter Annex have stepped up security so that all entry points will have a 100 percent ID check, the bases said on social media. The Trusted Traveler Program is suspended, which allowed Department of Defense identification holders to vouch for passengers.
Visitors without base access will have to go through the visitor center to get a pass.
Central Alabama residents react to the Iran attacks
For Travis Jackson of Montgomery, the attacks bring back memories, bad memories. He served one tour in Iraq from 2007-2008 with the U.S. Army. He attained the rank of sergeant before leaving the service and has worked the last 10 years as a community activist and diversity, equality and inclusion coordinator.
“I had a flashback of being overseas again,” he said when he first heard news of the attack. “The first thing I thought of was corporate greed. Of yet again seeing what has transpired throughout the years of any war overseas.”
He feels the attacks are a mistake.
“It’s going to be detrimental to the economy, notably with the increase in oil prices,” he said.
Removing the current regime in Iran and establishing a more western friendly country could improve hopes for a more stable Middle East, said Amy Stephens of Elmore County.
“I don’t know if there will ever be peace there,” Stephens said. “But Iran has been the causing trouble over there for almost 50 years.”
Ray Roberts of Prattville served in Operation Desert Shield/Storm in 1990 and 1991 after Iraq invaded Kuwait. He served in an ordinance company with the Alabama Army National Guard. He was a sergeant when he left the service and now works as a draftsman at a Montgomery manufacturing plant.
“It wasn’t a surprise,” Roberts said of the attacks. “President Trump had said they were coming. When he says something like that, he means it. I am glad we are working with Israel so it’s not just the United States. I wonder if Europe and some of the other Gulf nations will join the attacks.”
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com. To support his work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
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