Former Alabama coach Mark Gottfried gets real on Nate Oats' squad's ranking: "Should have clearly been No. 1 in the AP Poll"

Nate Oats and his Alabama Crimson Tide are currently ranked No. 2 on the AP Poll with a 21-3 record in the regular season. Oats’ team is playing some of the best basketball in the country but remains second in the Poll behind fierce rivals, the Auburn Tigers.

However, former head coach Mark Gottfried believes they deserve the No. 1 spot in the AP Poll rankings. Speaking on The Next Round Show on Thursday ahead of the much-anticipated 1-vs-2 matchup between the two teams on Saturday, Gottfried said,

"By the way, I thought Alabama should have been No. 1 in the AP Poll."

Mark Gottfried also believes that the big matchup between Alabama and Auburn will help generate more interest in basketball in the predominantly football-centric state.

Gottfried coached the Crimson Tide from 1998 to 2009 and led them to the No. 1 ranking in the 2002-03 season, so he knows a thing or two about the program's basketball culture.

Nate Oats calls out Alabama Crimson Tide stars for turnovers

The Alabama Crimson Tide can put to rest any questions about its No. 1 status in the AP Poll by defeating the Auburn Tigers in their next game. The Crimson Tide will face off against the current number-one ranked side in college basketball on Saturday, February 15, 2025.

The Crimson Tide enter the game on the back of an excellent run of form. They've won seven consecutive games since their 10-point loss to the Ole Miss Rebels in mid-January.

Bama is coming off a dominant 103-80 win over Texas on Tuesday. However, Oats still wasn't satisfied with his stars' play as he called out Mark Sears and Grant Nelson for turning the ball over too much.

Sears, in particular, has struggled to take care of the ball of late. He's committed 22 turnovers in his last four games.

Nevertheless, the Crimson Tide will count on Sears and Nelson to bring the goods against the Auburn Tigers.

Sears is averaging a team-high 17.8 points per game and has been a constant presence on the floor, appearing in all 24 regular-season games in the 2024/25 season. The team will also need forward Grant Nelson to bring the energy on the glass, as he's the team's best rebounder and shot blocker.