Nate Oats issues urgent plea to Alabama fans before Arkansas State

Nate Oats sent an urgent message to Alabama fans ahead of the Arkansas State game.

The Crimson Tide head coach addressed the issue during a press conference on Thursday.

He was direct about what he wants to see Friday night.

“We need the student section completely full on a Friday night,” Oats said, according to Charlie Potter of On3.

He didn’t stop with the students.

“And then we need everybody else that’s got tickets to make sure that they’re using the tickets,” Oats added.

The message came after Alabama’s season opener against Sam Houston on Tuesday.

The Tide won that game 96-74.

But the crowd was noticeably thin.

Coleman Coliseum holds a little over 15,000 people.

For the opener, attendance was just over 11,000.

That’s roughly 4,000 empty seats for a ranked team’s first game of the season.

Alabama is currently ranked No. 20 in the AP top-25 men’s basketball poll.

The team is coming off a 25-10 season and a Sweet 16 appearance last March.

They were eliminated by eventual national champion Michigan.

Now Oats is in his eighth season at the helm.

He took over the program ahead of the 2019-20 season.

His overall record before this year was 170-73.

The Crimson Tide have reached the NCAA Tournament in all but one of his seasons.

That includes five Sweet 16 appearances, two Elite Eights and one Final Four.

Oats made clear that Friday’s game is part of a larger concern.

“Look, we’ve got a five game home stand, and we need Crimson Chaos, but we need everybody else, not just them,” Oats said, as reported by Yardbarker.

The Arkansas State game is the second of five straight home games.

After that, Alabama will host Oakland, Seton Hall and Kennesaw State.

Then the team goes on a long stretch without a home game.

“We need people in the stands, and we’re going to have a long stretch where we’re not at home,” Oats said.

The head coach also made a pitch for why fans should come.

“I think we’ve got a really good roster,” Oats said.

“I think we’re a fun team to watch.”

The roster includes star point guard Aden Holloway, who missed the opener.

Holloway was unable to play due to an ongoing legal issue from the end of last season.

Oats spoke about Holloway’s status during the same press conference.

“Holloway’s changed,” Oats said.

“I can’t wait for you guys to see him as a person, talk to him.”

Oats elaborated on what he means.

“When you see Aden Holloway and what he’s about, how he talks to you, how he talks to his teammates, how he plays the game of basketball, sometimes how you handle some adversity in life shows a lot more about you and your character than what maybe got you into the adversity in the first place,” Oats said.

Holloway averaged 16.8 points and 3.8 assists per game last season.

He was Alabama’s second option behind Labaron Philon Jr.

His return is expected to boost the lineup significantly.

The Tide already showed offensive firepower without him.

Against Sam Houston, Alabama shot 32% from three-point range.

They were out-rebounded 45-42.

Despite the slow start, they won by 22 points.

Friday’s opponent, Arkansas State, is coached by Ryan Pannone.

Pannone is a former Alabama assistant under Oats.

Oats has spoken highly of Pannone in the past.

He hired Pannone to make him “better,” according to previous reports.

The reunion adds an extra layer to the game.

But Oats’ main focus Thursday was the fans.

His tone was not angry.