Alabama Basketball Team Emulates The Joe Gaither Show’s Nate Oats System
This week’s topic of discussion on “The Joe Gaither Show on BamaCentral” is the weekend’s events at Coleman Coliseum. On Saturday night, the No. 24 Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the Mississippi State Bulldogs 99-67 to complete a season sweep. What about the win was so encouraging for the team’s objectives this year? How was Alabama able to win handily and feel so good about their performance when the Crimson Tide gave up 23 points to Tolu Smith and could only shoot 31% from beyond the 3-point line?
On Wednesday, the Crimson Tide travel to Auburn to play in Neville Arena, dubbed “The Jungle.” This is a big game for the team. In a game that will have a major effect on the conference standings, can the Tide win?
In comparison to the other four teams Nate Oats has coached at The Capstone, how does this year’s Alabama basketball team fare? How far can the Crimson Tide go in the NCAA Tournament if they can replicate their performance from Saturday in March?
On the show today, we keep things lighthearted, but we begin to anticipate National Signing Day on Wednesday as the Alabama Crimson Tide football team prepares to conclude the class of 2024 and focus entirely on the class of 2025. Follow every program on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube. Additionally, you can listen to shows on Amazon, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.
READ MORE
Alabama football transfer portal: The destinations of the top departures for the Crimson Tide in the 2024 cycle
With 30 total entries during the college football winter transfer portal window, Alabama was one of the teams most severely impacted. The majority of those actions came after renowned coach Nick Saban declared his retirement in January after leading the Crimson Tide for 17 years, during which he won six national titles and made seven trips to the College Football Playoffs. During the portal exodus, Alabama lost a number of starters and important reserves, with four of those players ranking among the top six individual transfers in the 2024 cycle.
Julian Sayin, Caleb Downs, Kadyn Proctor, and Isaiah Bond—all five-stars—are the top departures for the Crimson Tide as transfer players. A few former Alabama standouts helped Ohio State and Texas, but Florida State gained the most from their five new additions.
In order to fill gaps before the 2024 season, Alabama might make a significant purchase during the spring transfer portal window under head coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff.
Ranking on the 247Sports Transfer Portal: 5-star, 99 ratings, top overall, and top S
Ohio State is a transfer school.
When Caleb Downs decided to transfer to Ohio State rather than the widely regarded favorite Georgia, he surprised the majority of college football fans. The six-foot-three, 203-pound five-star safety was named the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year and started all 14 games. Downs became the first freshman in Crimson Tide history to lead the team in stops with 107 total tackles. In addition, he recorded three pass breakups, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, and two interceptions.
5 stars, 99 ratings, second overall, and first overtime rank on 247Sports Transfer Portal
Iowa as a transfer school
After playing just one season at Alabama, Kadyn Proctor is heading back to his home state of Iowa. With the Crimson Tide, the 6-foot-7, 360-pound monster offensive tackle had moments of difficulty and surrendered a team-high 12 sacks. The five-star lineman is still brimming with potential, though. Maybe 2024—a return home and a new beginning with the Hawkeyes—will enable Proctor to realize his greatest potential. In 2023, as a true freshman, he earned the starting left tackle position at Alabama.
5 stars, 98 ratings, fourth overall, and first wide receiver on the 247Sports Transfer Portal
Texas as a transfer school
One of the fastest players in college football is Isaiah Bond. The Texas offense under Steve Sarkisian, which lost most of its best receivers from the previous campaign, will appreciate that speed. In 2023, Bond finished as Alabama’s second-leading receiver with 48 receptions for 668 yards and four touchdowns. In Week 2, the five-foot-11, eighty-two-pound sophomore had one reception for thirty-four yards against Texas.
