Alabama plays San Diego State Friday in Louisville. (Vicky Graff Photo)
Alabama football coach Nick Saban attended Alabama’s basketball practice Wednesday before it left campus for Louisville where it plays San Diego State in Friday’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. However, a day earlier Saban said there was no “wrong place, wrong time” after he suspended one of his football players — a clear reference to Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats saying star player Brandon Miller was in the “wrong place, wrong time” after he was part of a murder investigation.
Oats said Friday the two coaches talked Tuesday night and he didn’t have any problem with what Saban said.
“I have a ton of respect for Coach. I said, my opening press conference when I got hired at Alabama, that he may be the best coach for team sports in modern sports history. I mean, when I was a high school coach back in Romulus, I had a whole section of Saban quotes in our practice plan,” Oats said.
“I still have it. I probably use them a little less now that we’re here, and they get plenty of Saban quotes just in the regular media. I’ve got a ton of respect for him. He has been tremendously supportive of our program since he got here. He says it all the time. He wants the entire athletic department to do well. He has been at multiple games this year. He came yesterday to speak to the team.”
Oats said his players “loved” having Saban at practice. He said the coaches had a “great relationship” and he was “thankful” for Saban’s support.
Miller, Alabama’s leading scorer and one of the nation’s best players, said he grew up an Alabama football fan.
“So Coach Saban has always been a great role model for me. It was just great just seeing him an arm’s length away from me,” Miller said.
Miller said having Saban at practice motivated Alabama, the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
“I feel like we have a winning school. It’s just not about the football team at Alabama. I feel like there’s Alabama basketball, Alabama football, Alabama track. All the organizations there, I feel like it’s just a winning program,” Miller said.
2 Responses
Well, so much for Alabama as the #1 #1 seed. Wonder how all the distractions swirling around murder allegations affected this team down the stretch. The quality of their play clearly dropped down a few notches after that story broke into full public view.
Alabama mishandled that entire situation, and Nate Oats should be embarrassed, but I doubt that he knows the meaning of the word.
All four No. 1 seeds gone before Elite 8.