Alabama head coach Nate Oats praised his team after its 113-88 win over BYU in the Sweet 16—a performance that not only sent the Crimson Tide to the Elite Eight but also set an NCAA Tournament record with 25 made three-pointers.
Following the game, Oats explained the process behind the new record.
Nate Oats Reacts to Alabama’s Historic Win Over BYU in Sweet 16
Oats was extremely candid and open after the Crimson Tide’s record-breaking win.
“That was a fun game if you like offense,” Oats said. “That was fun for the fans, I’m sure, at least for the Alabama fans.”
“I told (Mark) Sears there’s a thing called regression to the mean. In his last six games, he was shooting 14%, 5-of-35. He’s not a 14% shooter. They had been going under ball screens just about every game we watched. I told both those guys, (Aden) Holloway and Sears, man, I hope they go under us because we’re going to rain them.”
Well, rain them they did as the Crimson Tide set the new NCAA Tournament record for three pointers in a contest with 25. Alabama finished 25-of-51 from behind the arc.
“I told Mark he’s playing chess, not checkers, he just kind of set everybody up with that 5-of-35 thinking he was in a slump, and he’s going to come out and shoot — 63% ain’t bad,” Oats continued. “Ten threes, I think the first guy in NCAA tournament history that had at least eight threes and seven assists. Not only was he scoring it, he was moving it.”
“Helps to get assists when you’ve got guys like CY and Holloway making shots like they did, too, so, between these three guys, we had 21 threes. We’ve had 22 before a couple of times, I think. I think maybe 23. We’ve never hit 25.”
Well, coach, no one had hit 25 in an NCAA Tournament game before, either. But the good news didn’t stop there for the Tide.
In fact, once Alabama built a comfortable enough lead, the team was able to get some of their bench players in the action.
“It was good,” Oats said about the last quarter of the second half. “We were able to rest some — our top-minute guy was Sears with just over 30, and then nobody else — CY and Grant, 27 and 25. Whoever we played, we were able to get these guys a little bit more rest than normal.”
Oats, who has had to deal with mounting pressure of high-level expectations this season, then indicated where he’s most proud of this Alabama team’s growth and progress in 2025.
“So proud of our guys. we’re in the Elite 8 for the third time in school history and back-to-back,” Oats said. “Sears has been in the middle of it. These two guys came to play with him, and they’re an unbelievable backcourt together.”
“I thought Labaron did a good job moving the ball tonight, too. He went 2 of 3 himself. He ended up with six assists. I thought everybody played well in their roles tonight.”
While Oats celebrated his team’s offensive output, he also pointed to the need for continued focus on defense as the tournament progresses. He emphasized that despite the margin of victory, staying locked in on both ends of the court is essential.
Oats’ postgame remarks reflected both pride in his team’s historic performance and a clear-eyed determination to keep improving.
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As Alabama moves into the Elite Eight, Oats’ leadership remains a driving force in the program’s push for a Final Four appearance.
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