Tracking Officials Who Have Worked Alabama Basketball Games

Breaking down the fouls, free throws and officials for every Crimson Tide basketball game during the Nate Oats era

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Tweet.

The sound of a referee's whistle is ubiquitous in sports, but that's where the similarities end in college basketball. 

Or should we say consistency. 

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What? That's a fair statement. Officiating is easily the most thankless job in college basketball, but also the most controversial aspect of the game. Not only can three different officials see any given play in a different way, and rule on it, but in different circumstances and on different nights. 

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Come on, you know it's true. 

When Alabama played at Arkansas on Feb. 24, the Crimson Tide didn't play well. But it was also called for 32 fouls. 

It wasn't just the most fouls for the Crimson Tide in a game this season, but most since a four-overtime loss against South Carolina in 2017. Using @collegebb_ref’s search tool, AL.com reported that it was the most in any regulation game for Alabama in at least the past 11 seasons.

Overall, Arkansas shot 43 free throws to Alabama's eight and was called for only 18 fouls even though the teams have a similar style of play. The Crimson Tide shot a total of only 3-of-8 from the three-throw line while the Razorbacks shot 27-of-43 from the charity stripe.

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Senior forward Herb Jones fouled out. Sophomore guard Jaden Shackelford committed five fouls. Senior win John Petty Jr. was ejected after his second technical foul. 

Alabama didn't adjust well to how the game was being called, and that's also part of college basketball. 

“Well we have no control over the officiating,” Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said after the game. “So if you’re going to worry about stuff you have no control over and you’re not very good at the stuff you do have control over and we weren’t very good at that stuff tonight. We have to quit worrying about the officiating. They’re going to officiate the game the way they’re going to officiate it and we’ve got to worry about what we can control and we have to do a better job of that."

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Here's a snapshot of every game of the Oats era at Alabama. This database will be updated at necessary. 

We'll also be doing one for football as well: 


Published
Christopher Walsh
CHRISTOPHER WALSH

Christopher Walsh is the founder and publisher of BamaCentral, which first published in 2018. He's covered the Crimson Tide since 2004, and is the author of 26 books including Decade of Dominance, 100 Things Crimson Tide Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, Nick Saban vs. College Football, and Bama Dynasty: The Crimson Tide's Road to College Football Immortality. He's an eight-time honoree of Football Writers Association of America awards and three-time winner of the Herby Kirby Memorial Award, the Alabama Sports Writers Association’s highest writing honor for story of the year. In 2022, he was named one of the 50 Legends of the ASWA. Previous beats include the Green Bay Packers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, along with Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks. Originally from Minnesota and a graduate of the University of New Hampshire, he currently resides in Tuscaloosa.