LOS ANGELES — Alabama coach Nate Oats had been agency along with his group. Throughout the first two rounds of the lads’s NCAA event, the Crimson Tide had crushed groups — Charleston and Grand Canyon — that they have been presupposed to beat. So far as Oats was involved, attending to the Candy 16 didn’t must be celebrated.
“We have not finished a factor but, so let’s not act like we have finished something but,” Oats mentioned of the message he had imparted to his group. “Now, if we are able to beat [North] Carolina, now we have finished one thing.”
The Tide might have fun Thursday night time.
In opposition to the No. 1 seed within the West area, Alabama didn’t again down. Oats’ group not solely matched the Tar Heels blow for blow however outlasted them in a dramatic 89-87 victory that gave Alabama its first Elite Eight berth since 2004, solely the second in program historical past.
“We have been working for this all season,” mentioned senior ahead Grant Nelson, who posted 24 factors, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks. “It is good we acquired right here. It is one thing on the college, we have not finished, just one different time.”
Main as much as the sport, the Crimson Tide had been self-aware sufficient to know that their protection was not going to restrict UNC’s offense to 60 factors. This was going to be a high-powered offense going up towards one other high-powered offense.
It is why Alabama was content material to show the sport right into a fast-paced affair by which lead adjustments and scoring runs by each groups have been inevitable. All that mattered in a contest that was shut all through was who might step up ultimately. Effectivity, not quantity, would decide the winner, and Alabama received that battle by capturing 47% from the sphere and 42% from deep.
The journey to the win wasn’t straightforward. After the Tide reduce UNC’s result in three factors simply earlier than an Alabama timeout with 8:10 remaining within the second half, Oats thought his group was working out of gasoline, however the Alabama huddle oozed a type of confidence that instructed the coach his group was ready for the stretch run.
“That timeout I believed received the sport with the vitality within the huddle,” Oats mentioned. “Issues weren’t going properly at the moment. Issues had gone properly, and so they have been trending the incorrect path. We got here out, made a run, Grant Nelson acquired going, and we took off from there.”
Regardless of the collective group effort, Alabama wanted somebody to step up. Down 5 factors with simply over seven minutes remaining, Nelson went to work.
The 6-foot-11 senior from North Dakota performed like a wrecking ball on each ends. Going through off towards Armando Bacot, Nelson scored 15 factors within the last seven minutes of the sport and added three essential blocks on protection over the ultimate 1:39 to seal the victory.
“I did not begin this event with one of the best two video games,” Nelson mentioned. “These guys are saying, go on the market, go get a bucket. Actually, that offers me numerous confidence, and I give them numerous credit score. I could not have finished it with out them.”
Oats mentioned not even he noticed this stat line coming from Nelson, although he knew the potential for a breakout recreation was there. And Alabama acquired it on the excellent time.
“[Grant] confirmed up tonight in a giant manner towards top-of-the-line bigs within the nation,” Oats mentioned. “I believe individuals questioned whether or not we’re frail, mushy. … Grant confirmed we’re not. We will go along with the large boys.”
At the same time as Oats & Co. basked within the assertion victory, the Tide’s coach was fascinated about what comes subsequent: crafting a recreation plan for his or her matchup towards a Clemson group that already beat them at residence earlier this yr.
“Our phrase’s been ‘subsequent’ this complete event. Subsequent play. Subsequent play,” Oats mentioned. “I instructed the blokes they will have fun for half-hour. As quickly as we get the media out of the locker room, we’re on to Clemson. … We can’t be getting numerous sleep tonight.”