All-Access at the 1st/2nd rounds in San Diego: Alabama press conference

The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The 1st/2nd rounds are taking place in 8 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all of the angles so you can look forward to a cascade of coverage in the days ahead. Jon Teitel commences our coverage from San Diego with the Alabama press conference.


I asked anyone who played in the OT loss to UCLA in last year’s Sweet 16 what they learned from that game that will help them this time around. JR PG Jahvon Quinerly (2nd from right) said he knows that free throws are a big thing (the Tide shot 11-25 from the line vs. the Bruins) but that they have figured it out. It is a game of runs and you need to be able to answer your opponent’s run. Responding to adversity is also key because it gets crazy during March, which is why the older guys have to teach the younger guys how to do so.


I asked Coach Nate Oats if having the #1 strength of schedule in the nation is a happy accident, and if not then whether he did so specifically to succeed this week. He said it was not an accident, as it helped his team get into the NCAA tourney. The Tide beat 3 teams from last year’s Final 4 (Baylor/Gonzaga/Houston), 2 of which are #1 seeds again this year, as well as great mid-major teams like Davidson/South Dakota State. His team is battle-tested so hopefully it pays off this week.


Arizona fans must adore this team: Quinerly committed to Arizona in 2017 but reopened his recruitment after the Emanuel Richardson scandal, and Oats beat them by 21 PTS in the 1st round of the 2018 NCAA tourney as coach at Buffalo. At least the towels are ready for prime time!