Nate Oats didn’t wait long to address what stood out from Alabama’s season opener: the crowd.
The Crimson Tide opened the year Tuesday night with a 96-74 win over Sam Houston, a game Alabama controlled comfortably despite a rough shooting stretch early. The Tide hit just 32% from 3-point range and were also beaten on the glass, 45-42, but still had enough to pull away from the Bearkats.
What caught Oats’ attention just as much as the box score was the turnout at Coleman Coliseum. On Thursday, the Alabama coach made it clear he wants to see more from the fan base as the home schedule rolls on.
“Look, we’ve got a five game home stand, and we need Crimson Chaos, but we need everybody else, not just them.” Oats said.
“We need the student section completely full on Friday night, and then we need everybody else that’s got tickets to make sure that they’re using the tickets, whether they’re coming or they’re sending somebody in their place. But we need people in the stands, and we’re going to have a long stretch where we’re not at home.”
Alabama’s first home stretch continues Friday night against Arkansas State before matchups with Oakland, Seton Hall and Kennesaw State close out the final four games of the five-game stand. The Arkansas State game is expected to draw a larger crowd than Tuesday’s opener, and the Tide will try to keep the momentum going after their win over Sam Houston.
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