With Alabama’s 88-84 victory over Mississippi State on Wednesday, head coach Nate Oats has tied an Alabama legend.
Wimp Sanderson, who coached the Crimson Tide to five SEC tournament championships during a 13-year span from 1980-92, had held the record for most AP Top-25 wins in program history with 25. But Wednesday’s win in Starkville against the No. 14/13 Bulldogs gave Oats his 25th AP Top-25 win since he arrived in Tuscaloosa in 2019.
It didn’t come easy, as Bulldog guard Josh Hubbard had a career night, netting 38 points on 14-of-28 shooting from the field. Hubbard cashed in six three-pointers and dished out three assists.
Chris Youngblood paced the Tide with 23 points, 21 of those coming by way of the three-pointer, and Mark Sears responded to being benched in the second half versus LSU on Saturday with 17 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds.
“I thought a lot of guys made a lot of big plays and (Mark Sears) had a great bounce back game. A lot of big plays and a huge road win over a really good team,” Oats said.
This season, the Crimson Tide has already posted seven wins against AP Top-25 opponents—also matching a school record—and three road victories against AP Top-15 teams.
Alabama returns to Coleman Coliseum to face Georgia (15-6 overall, 3-5 conference) on Saturday, Feb. 1. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. CDT and the matchup will be broadcast on the SEC Network. TG
Cover photo courtesy UA Athletics
