2 weeks Ago By Andrew Kulha, Yardbarker
Alabama Crimson Tide basketball coach Nate Oats will take the win, especially with John Calipari's Arkansas Razorbacks on the other sideline. Ultimately, it was a win that brought Alabama to 20-3 and extended the Crimson Tide's winning streak to six games, but Oats was still extremely critical after the game due to the close nature of the contest. And it wasn't even that it was a close game, but rather, it shouldn't have been.
The Crimson Tide beat the Razorbacks, 85-81, but they were up by 18 with 6:29 left and saw Calipari's team almost tear that lead away. "A lot of credit to Arkansas for not quitting. They fought.
They stayed in it. Took an 18-point lead with 12 to go or so and cut that thing to three there late. I thought our guys did a decent job of closing once they cut it the three, we were able to get that put-back and made a couple free throws.
But we gotta do a better job closing," Oats said after the game ( h/t On3 ). “ We risked losing a road game that we were supposed to by not closing that thing like we were supposed to. So a lot of credit to them.
" While Alabama did win and the Tide are still one of the best teams in the country — they're ranked No. 2 in the AP Poll behind Auburn — things aren't going to get any easier moving forward. Up next is a game Texas team and then it's a gauntlet of No.
1 Auburn, No. 21 Missouri, No. 15 Kentucky, No.
22 Mississippi State, No. 5 Tennessee, No. 3 Florida and No.
1 Auburn again to end the season. Alabama is lucky it didn't drop a winnable game because they're all going to be tough from here on out. Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician.
Spooky! @KulhaSports.
