Nate Oats Explains What Happened During Technical Foul in Win over Texas A&M

The Aggies went on a run after Oats was called for his second technical of the season, but the Crimson Tide bounced back for a needed win.

Alabama head coach Nate Oats gets animated with a referee | Sarah Munzenmaier/Alabama Crimson Tide on SI

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Nate Oats has been doing a good job with self control this season. Coming into Wednesday night's matchups against Texas A&M, the Alabama basketball coach had only been called for one technical foul all season.

But Oats was a little too hesitant to pull out the card he keeps in his coat pocket that has Proverbs 19:11 inscribed on it as he was called for his second technical foul of the season with 12:17 to go in the second half, and the Crimson Tide holding a slim lead.

Alabama eventually got the 100-97 win over the Aggies, but after Oats' technical foul, Texas A&M went on a 6-0 run in 43 seconds to go up 70-64. Former Alabama guard and current Aggie Rylan Griffen shot the technical free throws.

"I've tried to stay away from technicals this year," Oats said after the game. "I didn't say anything necessarily that I thought was deserving of it, but probably just said one last comment. Should've just kept my mouth shut.

"On the play card I keep in my pocket here, I've got Proverbs 19:11 that says, 'The discretion of a man defers his anger, and it's his glory to pass over transgressions.' So I should have just passed over the transgression, I thought by the referees. But sometimes I don't pull it out and read it like I need to."

Oats has 29 total technical fouls over his 6.5 seasons at Alabama, and his last technical foul occurred during the Crimson Tide's 96-90 road loss at Vanderbilt on Jan. 7. In a game as close as Wednesday's between the Crimson Tide and Aggies with 13 ties and 28 lead changes, every point mattered.

"Last time I had a T this year, we did not win," Oats said. "So I would not have been happy with myself if we had lost this game by one or two points giving them two free points."

Alabama was able to overcome the temporary momentum swing in Texas A&M's favor to pick up a much-needed home win over an Aggie team that is at the top of the SEC standings.