Latrell Wrightsell on his relationship with Nate Oats:
"I appreciate Oats for trusting in me and giving me a platform to be able to showcase my faith in Jesus Christ, but also to be able to play the best basketball I've been playing in my career."
Three years ago today @AlabamaMBB delivered one of the most unforgettable nights in Coleman Coliseum history and secured another championship.
Down 17 points with just more than 10 minutes to play, the No. 2-ranked Crimson Tide stormed back to defeat arch-rival Auburn 90-85 in overtime, clinching its second SEC regular-season title in three years on March 1, 2023.
In a rivalry that never lacks drama, this one felt destined to live forever.
Alabama trailed 66-49 before flipping the game completely, outscoring the Tigers 26-9 the rest of regulation to force overtime, then winning the extra period 15-10. The victory secured a 16-1 SEC mark and capped a perfect 15-0 season at home — the program’s first undefeated run inside Coleman Coliseum since 2010-11.
Jahvon Quinerly came off the bench with 24 points and six assists, while Brandon Miller, Mark Sears and Noah Clowney added 17 apiece. The Tide’s core accounted for 75 of the team’s 90 points in a championship-clinching performance.
Afterward, @nate_oats summed up the night perfectly: “To be down 17 with just over 10 minutes to go in the game and come back to win, I couldn’t be prouder of our guys.”
It wasn’t just a rivalry win. It was a sweep of the in-state rival. It was an undefeated home season.
That’s how championships are defined and banners hung.
On this day 24 years ago, Coleman Coliseum witnessed one of the most unforgettable finishes in @AlabamaMBB history that propelled the Crimson Tide to its first SEC regular-season championship in 15 years.
With everything on the line and an SEC title within reach, Antoine Pettway delivered a moment that still echoes through Tuscaloosa — a glass-kissing layup that lifted Alabama past Florida, 65-64, on Feb. 23, 2002.
Alabama had not won a SEC regular-season title since 1987, but on this memorable day inside Coleman Coliseum, destiny hung in the balance. It was fitting that head coach Mark Gottfried — himself a key contributor on the 1987 SEC championship squad — stood on the sideline.
But the final chapter belonged to @AntoinePettway.
After Florida’s James White missed a crucial free throw with 14 seconds left, @mowilliams chased the rebound into the corner, raced across midcourt and found Earnest Shelton. With the clock ticking under five seconds, Shelton drove the lane, drew the defense — and at the last instant spotted Pettway cutting free toward the rim.
The pass was perfect. The timing, impeccable. Pettway softly laid it off the glass — and the net snapped as time stood still. Coleman erupted and the Mark’s Madness section spilled onto the court.
Four days later, the Crimson Tide finished the job at Auburn to lock up the outright regular-season title, then powered its way to the SEC Tournament final. But it was that singular moment — Pettway gliding to the basket — that symbolized the grit and belief of that team.
Twenty-four years later, the image remains timeless. A cut to the rim. A pass in stride. A layup immortalized on a Daniel Moore canvas.
James Van Der Beek’s final message to the world is one of the most powerful things I have ever heard. Stop whatever you are doing and listen to this! 🥺
ESPN announces new 6-episode ESPN Original Series, 'Saban'
🏈 Highlighting the life & career of college football coach Nick Saban
Details: https://t.co/kfrif1s4SN