Alabama basketball will play in its second-ever Elite Eight when the NCAA Match continues on Saturday. It’s an opportunity for Nate Oats’ staff to make its first Remaining 4.
Because the day approaches, Oats obtained a textual content message from a person not recognized for his use of the medium.
“He doesn’t do a lot texting,” Oats mentioned Friday of retired Alabama soccer head coach Nick Saban. “I in all probability shouldn’t even say he texts as a result of I believe he’s not imagined to textual content. However now that he’s not teaching anymore, perhaps he texts. If I wasn’t supposed to inform anyone he texts, I apologize to Coach Saban. He did ship me a brief textual content.”
Alabama needed to pull of an upset of top-seeded North Carolina within the Candy Sixteen to make the Elite Eight. It’s a fast turnaround from the emotional Thursday victory to Saturday’s matchup with Clemson.
Oats mentioned he was encouraging his Tide to deal with what’s forward, an angle he mentioned he took from a dialog with Saban. He is also borrowing a well-known line from Saban in an effort to maintain gamers grounded.
“Coach Saban calls it rat poison on a regular basis,” Oats mentioned “In case you needed, you may get in your cellphone and have a look at social media and sort your identify in and see a whole lot of individuals speaking about how nice you have been. However it has nothing to do with making ready to play the subsequent sport. I advised them, if you wish to get to a Remaining 4 you’ve obtained to be disciplined sufficient to place that rat poison out, get locked in on what we have to do for the subsequent 24 hours, be ready to beat this staff. As a result of the rest is a complete distraction.”
Alabama and Clemson are scheduled to face off at 7:49 p.m. Saturday in Los Angeles with a Remaining 4 spot on the road. The sport can be aired on TBS and TruTV.