Against Aggies, Alabama Basketball Welcomes Back Elite Alumni
In commemoration of one of the best teams in Alabama history, Nate Oats is thrilled to see his former assistant coach.
With only a few weeks left in the schedule, the No. 15 Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team has won 11 of its previous 13 games and is presently ranked top in the Southeastern Conference.
In just his fifth year leading the team, Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats is competing for the conference title for the third time. The Alabama basketball program is undoubtedly at an all-time high, with a fourth consecutive NCAA Tournament bid all but certain, four conference titles won, and a top-10 recruiting class on the horizon.
Although Oats has transformed the Crimson Tide into one of the most competitive teams in the country, he is aware that this is only the beginning of Alabama basketball’s legendary history.
In pursuit of Oats’s third SEC regular season championship, Alabama will host the Texas A&M Aggies this Saturday for the first of its final three Saturday home games of the year. However, Alabama will also be honoring the 2004 Crimson Tide basketball team while they take on their league rival.
It has been twenty years since Alabama’s most successful NCAA Tournament run. The Tide, under the coaching of former head coach Mark Gottfried, finished third in the SEC West with a poor 20-13 record and were seeded eighth in the NCAA Tournament.
The Tide advanced to the program’s first Elite 8 by defeating Southern Illinois, Stanford, the number one seed, and Syracuse in the Sweet 16. Alabama’s tournament run came to an end in the Phoenix Regional Final against eventual NCAA champion UConn, but they will still be recognized for their achievements on Saturday.
Yes, that will be really awesome. The squad [Antoine] Pettway was a part of that advanced to the Elite 8’s return. They will be honored tomorrow during the game. This place has a really strong sense of tradition. They’ve had numerous victories. Based on winning percentage, victories, total wins, and other metrics, we rank as the second or third best basketball program in SEC history, depending on the statistic you’re looking at. Respecting history is a good idea. On the Saturday festivities, Oats stated, “The teams that won a lot of the games before I was able to come here.” In light of that, and with Pettway returning, perhaps we can win tonight and enter this game on a two-game winning streak. The uniforms then appear fantastic. Having an alternate uniform to play in is kind of great. The boys seem excited about them, I believe. Although it won’t matter if we win or lose the game, it’s wonderful to give some teams that have won here in the past some recognition.”
Alabama will salute the past on Saturday by releasing new uniforms with retro touches. The shorts will prominently display the vintage “Block A” emblem. Along with talents Kennedy Winston, Earnest Shelton, and current Kennesaw State head coach Antoine Pettway, Gottfried will join the Tide. In a ceremony held at halftime, the group will be introduced to the audience.
