Alabama Crimson Tide's Nate Oats on Mark Sears: Frustration or Motivation? PLUS: Football Talk

[@darnellrtr252]

Just to see coaches still disciplining players in the NIL era is impressive to me.

[@Neel_44]

My condolences to you and family Luke🙏🏼

[@frankdaniel9876]

My condolences to you Luke. 🙏

[@CRob822]

I believe a lot of the problem of the fans at the basketball games is because we need more excited fans down closer to the court. The same people are able to maintain their same season tickets every year before anyone else gets a chance at them. There fore most of the people in the front rows have had their seats forever and going to a game isn't as exciting of an event as it is for a person like me that is lucky to go to a game or two a year and all the seats are usually row 25+. I also wish they would let the people from the upper rows move down to the better unoccupied seats below them. Every time is go there are much better seats below me that are empty. It's just a bad system imo. Plus for a person like me that is in the large side, the seats the higher up u go are smaller and very uncomfortable. I could go on and on but I'll shut up now lol. Keep up the good work guys and I appreciate the bball coverage. I like it as much as football. RTR and keep up the good work guys

[@EvaFig]

We were at one of the games and the people next to us asked us if we were loud. We told them of course and every time I screamed they looked at each other. I felt out of place. Of course it didn’t stop me but I was disappointed of the adults just being quiet. We should be even louder when things aren’t going 100% as planned!! That is what fans are for!! I wish I could afford more games!!

[@NoSerfdom]

Same experience at BDS for Tenn 2023... dirty looks from Crimson wearing bluehair in endzone about 20th row right where Jihad had his scoop-and-score. No profanity or anything inappropriate just yelling too loud, I guess.

[@BakkwoodRed]

We need the crowd to be like the British are at soccer games but we have so many old, non-interactive fans . I think we need more Basketball pods though. Was looking for you guys last night. Love the "You're On Mute" shirt Luke 🐘

[@cindyjones2093]

Happy 😊 that Youngblood had a good 😊 game 🏀

[@gingerf363]

I'm so sorry for your loss, Luke. Keeping you and your family in my prayers.

[@kenmintz7412]

Sorry for your loss, praying for y’all!

[@JeffHorne-n5d]

Sorry for your loss Luke. These sudden family losses make it worse. Prayers to you and family.

[@54rolltide]

Nothing in Alabama athletics pisses me off more than the home game crowds. Gotta be better. The layout needs to be restructured if we aren’t going to be building a new arena anytime soon. The students, who show up early and show out, need to be rewarded with seating closer to the court

[@Don-md6wn]

Alabama has played great defense in stretches of recent games but they still have stretches where they are content to ease off and swap baskets. It looks like Nate Oats has had enough of it and there's not a better way to communicate that to your team than to bench your leading scorer for a half. As long as Oats didn't lose Sears, which I don't think will happen given his character and work ethic, I'm guessing it will be message received by the team and we'll see more consistent defensive intensity. With Youngblood rounding into form, Mo getting more minutes and Cliff getting more comfortable in the system, this should be an elite defensive team, not just better than last year.

[@Don-md6wn]

The other thing that makes me confident Sears will bounce back is that Oats was public with the reason Sears came back - the feedback from NBA teams was that he has to be a better defender to play in the NBA at his size. I think Sears has said so himself. So he has no choice but to dig in and play hard all the time on defense if he wants to make an NBA team. Sears is a good kid and a gym rat who will bounce back just like he did after the Illinois game. I suspect Oats was sending a message to the whole team and Sears was the guy he used to deliver it.

[@ericmoreno8760]

USF fan here. Chris Youngblood was our bonafide star last year and he can win y’all a chip. CY is a bama guy too. Dude was born a leader, when someone is that good at leadership it’s hard for others to take that role. Easy sit back and let someone else do the heavy lifting.

[@GaryDarnell-j8n]

Prayers for you and your family Luke!

[@wubuck79]

Keep the basketball content coming. It’s basketball season. It should be the focus. And I agree, the home crowd, at least on tv, is frustrating. Surely there must be a way to reward boosters and high dollar ticket holders aside from having the front row be 200 year-old men golf clapping.

[@jaesunsturkie7674]

We need to have better crowds at the games or we are going to lose Nate. He is a basketball junkie and he talks about how he loves playing in other arenas.

[@kaykirchler-ry5un]

What do you mean by “better crowds”. place was packed. (I was there) no matter what I do not think Alabama basketball fans will ever be engaged like Auburn or other rabid fans. That’s a shame but a fact.. same with football to be honest .most fans sit on their hands and are there to be “ entertained”.

[@Soprano-san]

This season is the last dance in T Town for Sears AND Oats. Soak it in Gump

[@joeyphillips1181]

Who cares lol basketball sucks anyway.. I could care less about "hoops" only thing I care about is football and were slacking in that department.. our fans need to get back on the same page like we was in 2008 and everyone knew Alabama was out for blood

[@joeyphillips1181]

I'm actually skipping through the video to find the recruiting news because I care so little about basketball lol

[@Soprano-san]

@@joeyphillips1181 TRUE. If Bama could trade their soft af Final 4 in for a CFP spot every Gump would do it in a heartbeat. Deboer never wins in Jordan-Hare.

[@jaesunsturkie7674]

Swapping from the Bama game to the barner game I was envious. My wife is a barner and I told her of my feelings

[@HawgWyldFishing]

Did she give you anything to make you feel better about yourself?

[@jaesunsturkie7674]

@HawgWyldFishing she did. The sympathy s*x. It did make me feel better for a minute.

[@leviraker]

Like that you talk about all things bama, it's locked on bama not locked on bama football..

[@DanStephens-f7f]

Praying for your family ,

[@JeffHorne-n5d]

What happened? Just started watching.

[@lagronemikal]

Classy Luke. Best to y'all and that sweet lil girl. On tv the crowd came across awful and dead except in moments. I've been to over 100 games so I can tell and it was especially bad last night. I was talking to myself complaining about it last night. Until they change the seating it isn't going to change sans a new arena. Sadly Coleman just doesn't translate well on tv imo largely due to the (lack of) lighting, the students in the corner, and the inability to buy tickets anywhere but a corner or behind a goal. The blue-hairs kill us here.

[@cindyjones2093]

Great 😊 episode. Roll Tide

[@andreabergenham8779]

So sorry for you and your family. You will be in my prayers

[@livingadreamlife1428]

Sorry about your family loss. On another note, excellent analysis by jimmy relative to Mark’s defensive shortcomings. For whatever reasons, Defense doesn’t come as easily to Mark, although the game requires it. That said, he’s one of the greatest players in Bama history, and is a great young man and teammate. I’ll be pulling for him to respond positively. This team has a chance to win a natty champ if he does.

[@g-man4984]

Condolences to your family Luke 🙏 🙏

[@davidwright9550]

Prayers for Luke’s daughters Father-In-Law, her husband and the entire family. ROLL TIDE!!!

[@jasonsaban3883]

Holloway was also great early in the game but faded a little, maybe not physically accustomed to the minutes.

[@Brewer1521]

I love Sears, but he will get in these ruts where the ball sticks and he’s turning it over. Then it carries into his defense. He’s at his best when he’s attacking and it looked like he was passive. Good thing is we have Holloway to back him up if things are going wrong. This team still has the highest ceiling in basketball if they can put it all together.

[@cindyjones2093]

Agreed 👍🏾 Herb Jones is a great defender 🏀

[@johnmoncrief8922]

Hey guys , I live in Kentucky. I follow the tide. Seen a couple football games and follow the basketball. Oats is a dam good coach. Seeing the UK fans at rupp area is discouraging. So, stay behind him. He will bring good things to bama. As always ROLL TIDE!!!!!

[@Don-md6wn]

The camera was on Houston Mallette during the second half and he had an arm around Mark Sears and was talking to him, which supports the claim of Jimmy's contact that Mallette is a team leader. I thought Sears had a puffy looking face and suspected he might have had the flu bug or something and that could have been part of why he was benched. Nate Oats also confirmed some of Jimmy's intelligence in his post comments. He said Chris Youngblood always tells him just tell me what you need from me coach, anything is OK. Oats says he's coached some great kids at Alabama but Youngblood is at the top - and he said at, not near the top or among the top.

[@serenoart]

Condolences to you Luke❤️

[@cindyjones2093]

Condolences to your family 🙏🏾🕊️ with passing of your father-in-law

[@Don-md6wn]

Josh Pate had an interesting comment on Alabama football, suggesting that with players exiting via the portal after DeBoer arrived and none coming in, the roster was so thin at some positions that DeBoer couldn't afford to lose anybody and had to perhaps put up with some things he normally wouldn't tolerate. Pate also noted something I've been saying, that despite beating Georgia and getting to the 4 team playoff, the 2023 team was not a typical Saban team; they played 10 games that were close in the 4th quarter, including against a bunch of unranked teams. I think the last great Saban team was 2020. The 2021 to 2023 teams were carried by a handful of star players like Bryce Young and Will Anderson, and they hit the jackpot with a few portal guys like Jameson Williams and Jamyr Gibbs to fill holes. I am not as down on DeBoer as some people are and won't be even if Alabama loses 3 or 4 games again next season. He didn't inherit a typical Saban roster loaded top to bottom and it got even thinner when Caleb Downs, Isaah Bonds and a few others exited via the portal before he had a fair shot at retaining them. I think the 2024 Alabama team had one guy on the all SEC first team and 2 or 3 on the second team. In most of the Saban years, there would be 8-12 guys on the first and second team all SEC. Fans need to be realistic and give DeBoer time to rebuild the roster in this NIL era. They also have to realize that it's not going to be like the old days where Saban could stockpile talent 2 or 3 deep and keep them all for 3-4 years. It's going to be more like college basketball where you're having to construct a new roster every season.

[@bwh2342]

Well said

[@cindyjones2093]

With the team’s depth, they can allow Derrion Reid to rest until fully healec🙏🏾🏀

[@JalareMarks-l9v]

Sorry about your father in Law, my Condolences.

[@BigBama-vu3mc]

Loved the " sabonized " comment Jimmy

[@CrimsonTideKelli]

I hope to someday attend a game with the fam of 6, but right now I watch from home. So, I can't speak from experience of being there, but I agree with Stein that it was a weird vibe for them to be struggling. Going further, Bama seems to play worse at home this season than on the road, which is also weird. That could definitely affect the crowd. On Sears, he hasn't been himself the whole season. I think he is wrestling with disappointment and insecurity from not having a positive experience in the draft. I keep waiting for him to unleash the beast like last year, but so far, he's held back. Normally speaking, he is the leader of the team. Others are having to step up to compensate for his current demeanor. I also thought his eyes looked really bloodshot at the game, so he could be sick. Idk.

[@BigBama-vu3mc]

Luke🙏

[@bamabob99]

RTR ❤️

[@darnellrtr252]

My sources sources have sources lol 😂 RTR

[@cindyjones2093]

Wishing Sarah Ashley Barker a speedy recovery ❤️‍🩹 🏀

[@harryazkrak1455]

I really hate watching bama games on tv now since the benches are on the other side of the court. The fans on the front row on the court level, look totally disinterested. It’s like watching people at an insurance seminar.

[@cynthiabowers-n9k]

They always look so disinterested.

[@cynthiabowers-n9k]

Love how you always get your bon mots and wisdom from cartoons! Meant for Luke

[@tjsmith3046]

I just don’t understand why Greg Byrne doesn’t want to change the student sections

[@cynthiabowers-n9k]

Is the ‘magic’ of the jungle making it seem even that much worse in the mausoleum I mean coliseum?

[@LockedOnBama]

cartoons are my Shakespeare

[@RtRGaming-u9k]

Roll Tide

[@kennethbrown7110]

Sears is the leader! You never bench a player for an entire half!! I understand Luke and Jimmy don't want their comments to get back to Oates if they go against him, but that was more damaging than anything! That method doesn't get the best out of a player, nor does it galvanize a team! I can assure you Oates won't do that again!!

[@jackharrington697]

My condolences to you Luke. I love Sears, but he will get in these ruts where the ball sticks and he’s turning it over. Then it carries into his defense. He’s at his best when he’s attacking and it looked like he was passive.

[@bluntsoup8593]

Until they decide to put the students around the floor and not stuck in the corner from the floor up to the rafters in darkness It will always look the same.

[@bluntsoup8593]

Philon rolled in ankle at practice week this week so he absolutely nothing to do with a virus. And he actually scored 11 points and played quite a bit because of Sears being out.

[@user-bd5ux2tu7tlsuhater]

Sears scores but gives up many points on d

[@BamaRockstar85]

I still think sears said something outta line to oats when he first got pulled and that’s why oats didn’t play him the entire 2nd half. He wasn’t even given a chance the 2nd half. That tells me something

[@Don-md6wn]

It wouldn't surprise me, because it was clear on the broadcast that Sears knew during the second half that he wasn't going back in the game. I thought he must have the flu or something.

[@JeffHorne-n5d]

Build A new arena! That would up the crowd.

[@kennygrant4301]

Just returning from vacation and catching up. Really hate to hear the news about your father in-law. Prayers for your family.

[@user-bd5ux2tu7tlsuhater]

Coach made the right decision defense was bad in 1st half and Sears was not on scoring so his lack of production on offense and his liability on d it was best to bench him.Deboer could learn domething from that at least 3 games Milroe by himself lost tge game but never pulled him

[@PaperChaser87]

Luke said we can’t keep going there in sweater vest 😂 arms in a stressed position

[@user-bd5ux2tu7tlsuhater]

I watched all year Sears plays poor d most teams abuse him usually put a taller guy on him and score

[@Don-md6wn]

Sears is never going to be a great defender, with his lack of height and not having the elite athleticism of somebody like Philon, but he normally adds a lot more on offense than he gives up defensively. Opponents are always going to target Sears and Holloway defensively.

[@PatHipp-zd1fy]

The bb arena at Bama is not good. I went to one game and I was so far from the court that it wasn’t enjoyable. Waiting on the new arena 9:14

[@darnellrtr252]

The crowd seem pretty good on TV. I mean Alabama is a football school so you can’t expect the basketball fans to be like the Cameron crazies lol 😂 RTR

[@justicewilson7929]

Speaking of Cameron Crazies, I would love to see Bama do a home and home series against Duke

[@darnellrtr252]

@ yep that would be cool. Let’s let Flagg go to the league first lol 😂

[@justicewilson7929]

@@darnellrtr252 😂 true

[@billpayne2225]

Crowd was like an opera

[@BamaRockstar85]

Turnovers are still our biggest problem. Was last year too. They aren’t turnovers caused by great defense it’s like the guys just get lazy at times. Some of the poorest passing I’ve ever seen.

[@Da-Boo33]

Rtr

[@JeffHorne-n5d]

Hate to say it but Auburn is better. Sears and Nelson have gone backwards.

[@Don-md6wn]

I'm guessing you don't hate to say it and have no idea where you come up with that nonsense on Sears and Nelson. Auburn scored 53 points at home last night against Tennessee and was fortunate to win.

[@ThePressBoxxx]

Home crowd is terrible

[@stevenmurphy9912]

These coaches always mess with the superstar hope he leaves

[@Tim_ToolMayne_Taylor]

Oats is gone next year

[@TheDKyatt]

Luke, I wish Blackerby would fire you, but being an auburn guy that he is I can understand why he hired you. The crowd last night was fantastic and bama fans have gone above and beyond to support this team. Especially in the times they really need us. We need someone else doing our locked on channel. Your comments about KD’s shirt continue to haunt t us. You’re an embarrassment, please do better

[@lagronemikal]

You only speak for yourself. In fact if you watch the episodes with multiple guys from the SEC you'll quickly see Luke is just about the only one that isn't a trash talking A-hole..

[@lukerobinson7079]

1. Thanks for listening 2. Zac may eventually fire me 3. The crowds at Bball games need to be better- I have seen it first hand 4. deBoer's shirt was awful that day and I will die on that hill 5. RTR always

[@MichaelToole1872]

You dumb!