What Nate Oats Sees from Missouri Basketball's Turnaround, Keys to Road Win

The Tigers have been one of the country's resurgent teams this season, and a good home team.

Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats yells to his team in the second half as the Texas Longhorns take on the Crimson Tide at the Moody Center, Feb. 11, 2025. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— The Missouri men's basketball team's trajectory this season compared to last has been vastly different.

In 2023-24, the Tigers failed to win an SEC game, but the team currently holds a 19-6 record to go with a No. 15 national ranking. It's been a remarkable turnaround for third-year coach Dennis Gates and his squad. Alabama coach Nate Oats has taken notice.

"Sometimes, [it's] injuries, bad luck, whatever it is, because he did a really good job in year one," Oats said. "Shoot, to be able to bounce back, A., to recruit the guys that he got to come in, and B., to get the mindset, get the culture, get the attitudes of the team to be back expecting to win. This team looks like they've got as much swagger as anybody in the country."

The No. 4 Crimson Tide (21-4, 10-2 SEC) faces Missouri on the road Wednesday night. The Tigers are 8-4 in league play and have one of the best three-point shooters in the country in guard Caleb Grill.

"Nobody would have any idea that this team didn't win a conference game last year based on how they've performed this year," Oats said. "Throughout, what they look like right now, cause they're one of the best teams in the country and they're certainly one of the best teams in our league."

Alabama is undefeated in road games during SEC play, including winning at Kentucky following a loss, a phenomenon which useful is not a strong enough adjective to describe considering the conference teams' strength of schedule this season. Oats' Crimson Tide teams are 1-3 in Columbia through his five-plus seasons as head coach.

"We've gone on the road at Kentucky when I thought maybe they were playing their best basketball," Oats said. "We went to [Texas] A&M when they were playing as good as anybody in the country and got a win. Went to Mississippi State. They were playing as good as they had been playing all year, I thought. Got a win. Arkansas was maybe playing as good as they'd been playing."

Missouri has defended home court virtually as well as one can at this point in the season (16-1, with a three-point loss against Texas A&M the only defeat). Stopping Grill, one of multiple dynamic Tigers guards, is part of the puzzle in terms of what Alabama needs to do to win and limit another explosive game from one of the opposing team's stars.

"This game's a little bit reminiscent of the Kentucky game, coming off a loss," Oats said. "Going on the road against a really good team. I hope we answer the bell like we did against Kentucky."

See Also:

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Where Alabama Basketball Ranks After Week 15

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Three Takeaways From Alabama's Iron Bowl of Basketball Loss to Auburn

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Where Alabama is Placed in Bracketology, KenPom Entering Missouri Matchup