Alabama basketball wonât have an encore performance in this yearâs trip to the Music City. The No. 3 seeded Crimson Tide was bounced out of the SEC tournament Friday night with a 102-88 loss to No. 6 seed Florida.
Following the game, Alabama head coach Nate Oats spoke about the loss and how his team will look to rebound for next weekâs NCAA tournament.
Hereâs a full transcript of everything Oats said during his postgame press conference.
âObviously not the outcome we were expecting or hoping. Got to give Florida a lot of credit. They’ve played us really well two straight games. I thought we had a good start to the game, things were rolling. Kind of took the timeout, they got readjusted.
âI didn’t feel we had a killer’s mentality to kind of just put ’em away early. We could have I thought maybe buried them when we got them down 8-zip. They kind of took the timeout, they started making a comeback.
âWe kind of chart every four minutes, get the media timeouts. We were up .56 and .88 on defense the first two. The next six straight, they were over a 1.4. 1.5, 1.6, 1.57…
âOur defense just kind of, I don’t know if it was coming too easy, the offense. For whatever reason, our defense has been our Achilles’ heel all year. We had a good start today, couldn’t maintain it for 40 minutes.
âSo disappointing, but we’ll be in the NCAA tournament, so we had a good enough regular season. We had quality wins. We’ve got a pretty good tournament résumé. We’ll see where they send us.
âThese guys are going to have to decide how bad they want to win in the NCAA tournament, how much we want to continue to play defense for 40 minutes. If we play defense for 40 minutes, we can play with anybody in the country. If we decide to take 24 minutes off from the defensive end, it’s going to be hard to beat anybody in the NCAA tournament.”
âI think it’s a big part of it. I talked to them after the game. Like, adversity happens. You miss a shot, ref misses a call, teammate misses you being open. I mean, you can see it. Intensity is not there on defense. Bad defensive possession, they score. We don’t come back pushing the ball with pace on offense. Makes the next offensive possession harder. Just a snowball effect.
âIt goes both ways. You play really hard on defense, you get stops, transition, we score in really long transition. You don’t play hard on defense, you can’t get out in transition as much, we’re not as good. Snowball went on and on and on for, shoot, at least 24 minutes today.
âWe got to be better. I got to do a better job. I probably should have called a timeout in the middle of the six minutes at the end of the half. Maybe should have used an extra timeout on top of the one I actually used. We got to do a better job trying to keep guys in the game that are focused on defense. Coaches, we got to do a better job.â
âThat’s a good question.
âI thought we had a good, positive attitude coming into this tournament. I didn’t think we played particularly well against Arkansas. That would have been our third loss in a way. We came back, got the win. We’ve lost three of the last four. We haven’t been healthy. We just got Wrightsell back, Griffen back from the previous Florida game. Felt like we finally got our group together. We got a little healthier.
âI mean, it’s hard to change at any point during the year. Shoot, if we don’t change, we’re not going to be playing too many more games at this point. They’re going to have to decide how much more basketball they want to play together. This will be the last time this group gets to play together.
âI felt bad for Aaron [Estrada]. I felt he played pretty hard most of the day. Next time we lose, he’s done, his career’s over. He’s been a great teammate. He’s helped the program a lot. I would hope these guys would want to try to play a little harder for him at least.â
âYeah, I mean, [Griffenâs] first game back. He hasn’t even practiced. We haven’t had a live practice that he’s been able to participate in. You’re hoping he can step back in and play like he was playing before he went out, but it’s probably unrealistic. Hopefully the next time he plays… He’ll be in practice with us all week getting some live reps. He’s been pretty good for us all year.
âWrightsell has been banged up over the last month. He’s a lot better, to be honest with you. Having a healthy Wrightsell and Griffen obviously make a difference.
âStill go back to I just think the biggest problems is our defensive intensity. Those two have been some of our better perimeter defenders. Maybe if they can get a little healthier.
âObviously you’re judged a lot on what you do in March in college basketball. We need to try to make a deep NCAA tournament run. I think Rylan’s legs looked pretty good, his individual skill workouts. Probably needed some game reps. Hopefully, he plays a lot better this next weekend in the NCAA tournament.”
âYeah, I mean, we’re just going to have to come in and figure out who we’re going to play Sunday night. Put together a game plan. Tell them exactly how we’re going to have to do it. Talk about doing it every possession for 40 minutes regardless of what happens on offense.
âThey’re teenagers, young adults, young men. I’ve had issues like this with guys in the past. Seems like as a collective whole, this has been a little bit bigger issue with this group, not being able to forget the play before, move on to the next play.
âI told them again tonight, it really doesn’t matter whether you missed three wide-open shots, your teammate missed you, the ref blew a call. It doesn’t matter. Your effort on defense shouldn’t be affected by what happens on offense.We’ve got too many guys where I feel like it does.
âWe’re going to have to try to get the attitudes back right, just change. We want to win, this is what we’re going to have to focus on defense every possession. We’re going to try to reiterate it for the next week. Whether we play Thursday or Friday of next week, we have to be ready to go right out of the gate.â
âI think we got a lot of guys that are too worried about what happens on the offensive end. In practice you can run a defensive drill, and it’s defense, defense, boom, boom, boom. They’re working on their defense. You get in the game, and they’re worried about what their offensive number is, whatever it is. The offense goes bad. Whether it’s their fault or not. Shoot, sometimes they’re upset with the ref or the teammate or they miss a shot, haven’t got a shot in a few possessions. Defensive intensity lags.
âThe teams that can make deep tournament runs are teams that have a defensive mindset. Look at our group last year. Two out of the last three years we’ve been top three in defense, two out of the last three before this year. Those are teams that also won the SEC tournament. The two that were ranked right around a hundred, this one and two years ago, we got beat in the first round.
âThese guys are going to have to decide that other group got beat in the first game in the NCAA tournament. We have a week to decide if they can guard for 40 minutes or not. If we can, we can make a deep run in the NCAA tournament.
âIt’s not for lack of quality defensive personnel, in my opinion. Obviously we’re missing some guys here and there. We’ve got guys that are more than capable of being better than solid defenders. We don’t have to be a top three defense in the country when we have a top three offense in the country. If our defense was top 30, we’d be easily a top five, top 10 team in the country right now.
âYou’ve seen it from various teams this year where they figure it out and play hard on defense. We got to try to figure it out over the next week.â
âI’ve had a really good five years here working with Craig, Dr. Bell, the board. Just everybody around the school. I love it here. We’ve turned the program around. A little disappointed tonight obviously. We’d like to be playing tomorrow, playing for the SEC tournament championship.
âMore than the NCAA tournament, the 13 years before we got here, they’d only played in two. This will be four straight for us. We’ve got the program headed in the right direction, we’ve got the commitment from the administration that they’re going to continue to support us in a way that I feel like we can compete to be a top 10, top 25 team year in, year out.
âI appreciate their support in keeping me here. Take my name out of some of the other job openings that are there. Probably not great timing with this loss tonight, to be honest with you.â
âWe’re definitely lacking it. It’s not there enough. (Indiscernible) let offensive possessions affect his defensive energy. Some of those guys had a little bit more competitive character on the defensive end, which is why we were top three in the country in defense.
âSome of these guys have it at times. It’s just not consistently there enough from the group as a whole. I love this group of kids. They’re a bunch of really good kids.
âWe got to compete harder on the defense end for 40 minutes, and we’re not right now. We didn’t tonight. It’s been a problem with us through large parts of this year, to be honest with you.â
The Alabama State Conference of the NAACP has announced its official schedule for the 2026 NAACP-sponsored Selma Jubilee Bridge Crossing Weekend, set for March 6–8 in Montgomery and Selma.
Held under the theme “A Time for Standing,” the annual commemoration honors the Foot Soldiers of the 1965 Selma-to-Montgomery marches and recognizes the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and Rev. Jesse Jackson for their roles in advancing civil rights and voting access.
The three-day event will bring together national, state and local leaders, along with youth and college chapters, faith partners and community members for activities focused on reflection, education and civic engagement.
Scheduled events include a civic discussion titled “The New Civic Path” on March 6 at the Montgomery Interpretive Center at Alabama State University, followed by a Jubilee Gala that evening at Embassy Suites in Montgomery. On March 7, the Birmingham Metro Branch will host a bus trip to Selma, while a statewide civic engagement training will take place in Montgomery.
SEE ALSO: Bridge Crossing Jubilee to honor Rev. Jesse Jackson’s legacy in Selma
SEE ALSO: 16th Street Baptist Church: Keeping a Legacy Alive 63 Years Later
On March 8, participants will take part in the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Parade, voter activation efforts, worship services at Brown Chapel AME Church and Tabernacle Baptist Church, and the traditional bridge crossing at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge.
Organizers say the weekend will emphasize continued civic participation and community engagement across Alabama.
—–
March 6 — Alabama NAACP Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Gala 5:30PM Embassy Suites by Hilton, 300 Tallapoosa St, Montgomery, AL 36104
March 7 — NAACP Birmingham Metro Branch Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Bus Trip 8AM–5PM Broad Street and Water Avenue in Selma Alabama
March 7 — Alabama State NAACP Statewide Civic Engagement Training 8–4:15PM Homewood Suites, 7800 EastChase Pkwy, Montgomery, AL 36117
March 8 — Alabama State NAACP in the Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Parade 8AM–10AM Begins at 1722 Broad St and concludes at the National Voting Rights Museum
March 8 — Alabama NAACP Statewide Bridge Crossing Jubilee Bus Trip 8AM–5PM Alabama State University, Untenese and Mobile Branch and University of Alabama, Oakwood University, Broad Street and Water Avenue, Selma
March 8 — Alabama NAACP Selma Bridge Crossing Jubilee Participation in Worship Services 10AM–2PM Brown Chapel AME Church and Tabernacle Baptist Church, Selma
March 8 — Alabama NAACP Youth and College Civic Engagement Voter Activation 8AM–2PM Broad Street and Water Ave, Selma
March 8 — Alabama NAACP Statewide Bridge Crossing 11:15PM – Line up Alabama NAACP Tent on Waters Ave or at the foot of the Edmund Pettus Bridge, Selma
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Exclusive: DeepSeek withholds latest AI model from US chipmakers including Nvidia, sources say
Mother and daughter injured in Taunton house explosion
10 acres charred, 5 injured in Thornton grass fire, evacuation orders lifted
Wildfire near Gum Swamp Road in Livingston Parish now under control; more than 200 acres burned
2026 OSAA Oregon Wrestling State Championship Results And Brackets – FloWrestling
Florida man rescued after being stuck in shoulder-deep mud for days
AM showers Sunday in Maryland
Try This Quiz on Thrilling Books That Became Popular Movies
