Alabama basketball teases big reveal at upcoming game vs. Texas A&M
Alabama appears to have new threads on the way. On Monday, Alabama Men’s Basketball posted a promotional video on social media of Aaron Estrada and Rylan Griffen unboxing what appeared to be a new uniform.
Pulling from the iconic film “Pulp Fiction,” the box glowed when the players opened it, illuminating the shock on their faces. Estrada laughed while Griffen gasped like a kid on Christmas morning. The video cut right as the pair pulled out the box’s contents.
While the program didn’t reveal the fresh look, it gave fans a date to look forward to. On Feb. 17, Alabama is expected to show off its new uniforms as the team takes on Texas A&M at noon ET on ESPN.
Alabama has earned its makeover. The Crimson Tide are 17-7 overall and 11-2 in conference play, earning them the No. 2 spot in the SEC Standings. Alabama has established itself as a powerhouse in the conference with the help of its breakneck pace.
Nate Oats reveals importance of fast pace
With Nate Oats in charge of the program, Alabama likes to play extremely efficient offense but at a rapid pace — a philosophy which Oats explained after the Crimson Tide’s 109-92 win over LSU this past weekend.
When asked if playing that fast actually makes a difference, Oats assured the nation that yes, it does.
“It does matter. We want to play fast,” Oats said. “Ever since I was a high school coach, my philosophy has kind of gone back to we’re going to get in the gym and player development has been our biggest thing on offense.
“We’re gonna spend a lot of time in the gym making players into really good players. And we want to open the floor up and let them make plays. They’re a lot more motivated to get in the gym to work on their game if you let them actually play their game. The best way to do that is to play fast, and as we’ve been doing it.”
Like he sees with teams at the next level, Oats claims playing fast can allow the offense to create mismatches and get the defense out of its set position.
“But the game is starting to evolve. The NBA is playing way faster. I think with the analytics and the floor being spread, I think if you can create an advantage in the first six seconds of the clock and just continue to keep the advantage through the whole opposition, I feel like we can get the shots we want,” he added.
“So yeah, we’re trying to attack early. We’re not doing it necessarily to play fast. I tell the guys all the time, we’re gonna be one of the fastest teams in the country, not just to play fast, because our goal is to be the most efficient.”