Nate Oats on Field of 68: “If they’re going to leave our guards open, (we) better take the shot.”

No. 4 Crimson Tide were the toast of the town after yesterday’s bounce-back 102-97 win over no. 8 Kentucky at Lexington.

That win in many ways felt like a turning point of the season and had plenty of buried lore going on under the W/L column.

For the team, it was an indicator of the kind of mental toughness and determination they had after the disaster in Tuscaloosa. It wasn’t decisive that the Tide won; It was important that they show up, do the right things, play the right way and get back to Bama basketball. It was also a rare win for the Tide in Rupp, the SEC opponent against whom ‘Bama has its worst all-time record, in the building it has its worst record in (under-20%). It also had to feel like a bit of vindication for Coach Oats — he had the Kentucky job in hand in April if he had pulled the trigger. The Wildcats got their man, and Mark Pope’s hiring appears to vindicate that the program alumnus wasn’t just a fallback candidate; nobody would be mad about losing that kind of game. It was also Pope’s first loss in his home gym as a coach, and Kentucky’s first at home this season.

After the game, Nate took the time to speak with Jeff Goodman and the Field of 68 crew in a great 12-15 minute interview where Coach Goats reflected on a wide range of topics.

* Mark Sears is developing into a complete guard now that teams have to stop his scoring.

* Grant’s physicality, inside presence and how much better he makes the Tide when he plays well.

* The team’s response to the Ole Miss loss.

* Chris Youngblood is getting more comfortable on offense and trusting his ankle again.

* His Bamametrics philosophy and how unselfish this team is.

* How Alabama borrows from the NBA. Yes, that includes whether he has NBA aspirations — which he didn’t deny. Although I don’t think it shocks anyone standing alone. We always knew that, with the exception of a handful of blue bloods, his most likely exit would come via the pros: There’s a reason Alabama is called the “31st Team” around the NBA. (Although, Coach Oats, if you’re reading this, I’d really like to reflect on the fact that the grass isn’t actually greener: Dean Smith, Izzo, Coach K and other legends were all tempted by the big leagues. But they stayed in the college ranks. and became demigods—Calipari and Pitino and Brad Stevens became cautionary tales. Just food for thought.)

Much more in here, and it’s worth a listen (it’s on my weekly to-do list, anyway). The entire pod runs about two hours, but their recap of the Kentucky game leads the show, and then the Coach Oats interview begins around the six-minute mark. Dive down.

Roll Tide