Nate Oats Explains Decrease in Minutes for Jalil Bethea

The sophomore guard has averaged only six minutes a game in the Crimson Tide's last three contests.

Alabama guard Jalil Bethea celebrates a play in the first half of the game against Texas on Jan. 10, 2025. | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— In his first six games in action as a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide, guard Jalil Bethea averaged 13 points per game during contests in which he played at least 10 minutes. During the three games since that span, the sophomore is down to an average of six minutes per outing, combining for five points and playing four minutes or fewer twice.

In Saturday night's home loss to Texas, though he was perfect in his lone shot attempt, Bethea only saw the court for four minutes. A successful three-point shot against the Longhorns was his first made field goal since the month of December, partly because his minutes have dropped off sharply.

Head coach Nate Oats expounded on this situation Monday afternoon, as the No. 18 Crimson Tide's guards continue to fall short of the coaching staff's expectations on defense. After Bethea's 15-point showing against Yale on Dec. 29, Oats stated that he hoped Bethea's defense would improve. That is how he can earn more minutes going forward in a deep backcourt.

"Our defense has to get a lot better," Oats said Monday. "We just gotta get more comfortable with him on the defensive end... Thought he was responsible for six points in the stretch he was in [against Texas]. Gotta get the assignments down, switching down."

Oats chalked up Bethea's defensive difficulties more to time missed because of injury than anything. Offseason foot surgery delayed the Miami (Fla.) transfer's 2025 regular season debut by more than a month. He has played in nine games this season, seeing double-digit minutes in five matchups and scoring 10 points or more in three. He put up 21 points on Dec. 7 against UTSA in his second game of the season.

"It's all the reps that he missed all summer and fall. It's hard to be exactly where you're supposed to be when you miss so many reps. So, he looked good in practice today. We just gotta continue to get him better on the defensive side of the ball so he can help us," Oats said.

Alabama (11-5, 1-2 SEC) goes on the road Tuesday to face a Mississippi State team led by one of the best guards in the entire nation, who scored 38 points the last time the two schools played each other in Humphrey Coliseum: Josh Hubbard. Tipoff between the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs (10-6, 2-1 SEC) is scheduled for 8 p.m. CT and set to air nationally on SEC Network.