Skip to main content
Bama Central

Two Former Alabama Basketball Assistants Make NCAA Tournament: Roll Call

Your daily briefing on what's going on with the Alabama Crimson Tide, including full TV listings.
Henry Sklar|
Kennesaw State Head Coach Antoine Pettway and South Florida Head Coach Bryan Hodgson
Kennesaw State Head Coach Antoine Pettway and South Florida Head Coach Bryan Hodgson | Imagn Photos

While Alabama will not tip off a hopeful NCAA Tournament run on Friday, the influence of Nate Oats’ staff at Alabama will be visible across the bracket.

Two former Alabama assistants are leading programs into the 68-team field. Bryan Hodgson has guided the South Florida Bulls to a No. 11 seed and a first-round matchup with No. 6 seed Louisville Cardinals. Antoine Pettway has the Kennesaw State Owls in the tournament as a No. 14 seed, where they will face No. 3 seed Gonzaga Bulldogs.

“You talk about us making six straight NCAA Tournaments, which hasn’t been done here at Alabama before,” Oats said on Sunday. “Bryan Hodgson had a lot to do with that. He’s in the NCAA Tournament as an 11 seed at South Florida and did a great job. Antoine Pettway was a huge part of it too, and now he’s in the NCAA Tournament for the second time in school history at Kennesaw State.”

South Florida enters the tournament with a 25-8 record after finishing near the top of the American Athletic Conference standings, then winning the conference tournament. The Bulls have built their success around defense and physical play inside, which often leads to turnovers and second-chance opportunities.

Kennesaw State finished 21-13 and earned its way into the field, winning the Conference USA tournament after a season filled with adversity. The Owls dealt with roster changes and injuries during the year but rallied late to secure their spot in the tournament. Freshmen Trey Simpson and Amir Taylor emerged as key contributors down the stretch for a team that prefers to play at an up-tempo pace, similar to Pettway’s mentor, Oats.

For Oats, seeing former assistants reach the NCAA Tournament reflects the strength of the staff that helped build Alabama’s recent success. 

“We’ve had some very good coaches go on and do very well using a very similar system, tweaking it to their personnel each year,” Oats said. “You’ve got to give a lot of credit to the staff.”

Countdown to Alabama Football's 2026 Season Opener

173 days (Sept. 5 vs. East Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium)

Roll Call: Sunday, March 15, 2026

  • Alabama women's basketball earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament and will face No. 11 seed Rhode Island in the first round in Louisville.
  • Despite winning the doubles point, the Alabama Crimson Tide men's tennis team fell 4-3 to the Tennessee Volunteers men's tennis on Sunday in Knoxville, with singles victories from Andrii Zimnokh and Matic Kriznik.
  • The Alabama Crimson Tide women's tennis team fell 4-3 to the Vanderbilt Commodores on Sunday in Tuscaloosa, with singles victories from Karla Bartel, Klara Milicevic and Mary Sidelnyk.
  • Justin Thomas finished tied for eighth at 8-under par at The Players Championship, rebounding from a difficult week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a well-rounded performance that included positive strokes gained on approach and putting. Bud Cauley finished tied for 32nd at 2-under and Lee Hodges placed tied for 59th at 4-over.
  • The Alabama Crimson Tide rowing team recorded eight race victories over two days at the Cardinal Invite rowing regatta in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, including multiple wins from the Crimson Tide’s Third Varsity 8+ and Third Varsity 4+ crews.

Sunday’s Alabama Crimson Tide Results:

  • Men's tennis: Tennessee 4, Alabama 3
  • Baseball: No. 21 Kentucky 6, Alabama 4
  • Women's tennis: Vanderbilt 4, Alabama 3
  • Softball: Alabama 4, No. 9 Arkansas 1
  • Women's golf: Dropped a pair of 3-2 decisions to No. 5 Auburn and No. 16 Ole Miss
  • Rowing at Cardinal Invite: Alabama recorded eight race wins over the two-day regatta, with the Third Varsity 8+ and Third Varsity 4+ crews each winning twice

Monday’s Alabama Crimson Tide Schedule:

No events.

This Date in Alabama Crimson Tide History:

March 16, 1934: Howard Schnellenberger was born in Saint Meinrad, Ind. As an assistant coach for Paul W. “Bear” Bear Bryant for five years he helped recruit quarterbacks Joe Namath and Ken Stabler, and the Crimson Tide won three national championships.

March 16, 1963: The Saturday Evening Post in its issue dated March 23 alleged Alabama coach Paul W. “Bear” Bryant was given information by Georgia athletic director Wally Butts prior to the 1962 game won by Alabama 35-0. They ended up suing the publication.

Alabama Crimson Tide Quote of the Day:

I scored a touchdown on the first reception I made in the NFL and spiked the ball. The instant I did, I felt horrible and couldn't wait for the game to end so I could call Coach Bryant and apologize. He said he didn't even notice, but I never spiked the ball again.
Ozzie Newsome

We'll Leave You With This...

Step inside the SI Insider Bracket Challenge. Intimate crowd, grand prize, ultimate bragging rights.

Sign up to be the first to play and beat SI Staff for the top spot.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Twitter/X, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, Threads and Blue Sky for the latest news.

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Henry Sklar
HENRY SKLAR

Henry Sklar is an intern at Alabama Crimson Tide/Bama Central. He previously covered Alabama football and basketball for TideIllustrated.com and was a contributing writer for The Crimson White, focusing on golf and football. He also has extensive experience on social media, including TikTok. He’s lived in six different states, enjoys playing golf and DJing in his free time while majoring in News Media with a concentration in sports media.

Share on XFollow HenryOSklar
Home/All Things Bama