Nate Oats, Alabama hoops head coach, discusses ball security ahead of conference play
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Turnovers drive Alabama head coach Nate Oats crazy.
He’s well know for the “Blue-collar points” system, one where turnovers and steals (among other things) are used as a measure of a team’s hustle and want-to. For the most part, Alabama has been able to win the Blue Collar medium this season.
But Alabama has a tough one to start conference play. The Tide travel to Starkville to face off against No. 21 Mississippi State, and Oats preached ball security ahead of the Wednesday matchup.
Oats: “It doesn’t matter if we’re battle-tested or not, if you turn the ball over and feed them a lot it’s going to be hard to win at their place. We’ve been in big games but you still have to do what you gotta do to win the games.”
— Blake Byler (@blakebyler45) December 27, 2022
Mississippi State is very good at creating turnovers, too. Shakeel Moore and Cameron Matthews especially have been pickpockets all season, though Moore has missed the past 2 games with an undisclosed injury. Mississippi State ranks No. 20 in the nation in turnover percentage at 24.3% (via KenPom), a measure that uses total turnovers divided by number of possessions.
The Crimson Tide take on the Bulldogs at 9 p.m. in Starkville.
Ethan Stone is a Tennessee graduate and loves all things college football and college basketball. Firm believer in fouling while up 3.
