Nate Oats Critical of Defensive Effort In Win Over Kennesaw State: 'We Don't Have It'

Alabama basketball beat Kennesaw State 92-81 in a shootout in Huntsville on Sunday afternoon to improve to 9-3 on the season. As expected, Alabama had no trouble on offense against the Owls, clearing the 90-point mark for the ninth time in twelve games. The Crimson Tide struggled on the defensive end, giving up 53 points in the second half, much to the chagrin of head coach Nate Oats.

"Defensive intensity, focus, and attention to detail on the defensive end were not there in the second half," Oats said. "We've got to get significantly better on that end of the floor before SEC play starts."

Alabama was in control of the game from start to finish, leading by as much as 30 points in the second half. The Owls, led by former Crimson Tide assistant Antoine Pettway, never stopped fighting, and had a great deal of offensive success down the stretch, at one point cutting the deficit to 15 points.

“Where was the leadership to make sure we keep playing hard?" Oats said. "If we’re going to try to compete for championships, we need somebody to lead us when the lead starts slipping away. Who’s going to be the guy to get the energy back where it needs to be? Right now we don’t have it.”

These problems are certainly not unique to this year's Alabama team. Just about every Oats' roster of the past five years has been in this position at one point in their season. The Crimson Tide regularly struggles to defend for a full 40 minutes, in part due to the breakneck offensive speed the program plays at, and in part due to the types of players that are recruited. But Alabama does have an emerging star on the defensive end in sophomore Aiden Sherrell.

"He was not the rim protector he is right now. Two months ago, we challenged him after the summer, like, we've got to get some room protection," Oats said of Sherrell. "He's made huge leaps in that area, rim protection. He's getting better at guarding, even without blocking a shot, guarding multiple players. We had this issue last year where all these post players were just having their way with us, and they're not anymore... Our defensive issues are not with him."

Sherrell is tied for second in the nation with 3.2 blocks per game. He had a career-high 21 points to go along with seven rebounds and two blocks on Sunday. The Detroit native has done an excellent job anchoring the defense in the paint, but is well aware that the team has a long way to go, especially with SEC play just two weeks away.

"I would definitely say defensively and especially rebounding is a big emphasis that coach has put on it," Sherrell said. "We've got to make changes in order to win these games, because we're playing different competition. We've got to step it up a notch."

Alabama has also struggled significantly on the boards, getting crushed in the rebounding battle in losses to Purdue and Arizona. The lineup has been shuffled numerous times as Oats and top defensive assistant Brian Adams try to find a starting five that can avoid getting outrebounded by championship-caliber teams.

Keitenn Bristow and Taylor Bol Bowen have had ups and downs on the glass, while Noah Williamson has rendered himself effectively unplayable against high-major opposition, paving the way for freshman Amari Allen to slide into the starting lineup at the power forward position. Allen leads the team with 6.9 rebounds per game, but is the only player under 6-foot-10 on the roster who is averaging more than four rebounds per game.

"We've got major rebounding issues, so we've got to find front court guys that want to go get a rebound," Oats said. "Guys that are going to play with some physicality and some toughness up front there. That's what we're looking for right now."

The Crimson Tide has one more nonconference game against Ivy League favorites Yale. The Bulldogs are 11-1 and have one of the best mid-major rosters in the nation, providing a solid test for Oats' team. An ideal situation would be a similar contest to this Kennesaw State game, where Alabama leads comfortably, but still has to fight off an eager Yale comeback attempt. This would give the team a chance to prove that it can put together the complete defensive performance that Oats has been waiting for.

"It doesn't matter what happens on offensive end. It doesn't matter what happens with referees' calls. Doesn't matter what happens with your shot, whatever. It doesn't matter," Oats said. "The defensive intensity has to stay where it needs to be. And we got to get some leaders that make sure it stays where it needs to be, no matter what the score is."

Yale comes into Tuscaloosa on Dec. 29. The game will tip off at 7 p.m. CT and be streamed on SEC Network+.

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