Oats said he'd spoken to a longtime friend in the NBA who told him it's all down to getting back to fundamentals, including improvement in guarding one-on-one, boxing out, sprinting back and communicating. He added that leadership on that starts from the top down, including himself.

The SEC is loaded with top-end talent for the 2025 college basketball season. Coach Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide have what it takes to rival teams like the No. 1 Auburn Tigers. However, the rumblings from inside the team might say otherwise.