Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats declared that the SEC is returning to prominence, citing early-season tests as preparation for the conference challenge. Oats made the remarks following the team's non-conference schedule, which featured several high-profile matchups designed to ready the Crimson Tide for SEC play.
The Tuscaloosa News reported that Oats emphasized the difficulty of the early games as a deliberate strategy to simulate the intensity of conference competition. Alabama's roster, bolstered by new additions, will look to translate that preparation into success when SEC action begins.
