BamaAlum05

Thanks to everyone for the objective responses. Much appreciated. My concern is his ability to recruit at an SEC level. I actually think he might have some initial success because if he can get our returning soph PG stay in the program, the roster isn’t exactly bare. It was just poorly coached and completely unmotivated. The challenge will be turning the roster over in 2-3 years with guys who can compete at a high level. We will see. Coaching searches are funny. Half the fan base automatically talks themselves into the hire being the greatest thing ever because no new coach has ever lost a press conference. The other half second guesses every move because they feel like they could do better. It will be interesting to see if a guy from Wisconsin who has coached in Western NY for several years can relate to a southern fan base. It’s definitely not a logical cultural fit. But there are rumors our top recruiter from the old staff (who is a Bama grad) may be retained for continuity.

Bama fan here. I was searching for perspective from UB fans on Oats and found this board. I saw some comments up the board about Bama fans' expectations. Honestly, I think most of our folks just want to be relevant enough to be in the tournament more years than not and play a fun brand of basketball. We aren't expecting national titles or Final Fours. We wouldn't turn those things down, either, but if we make the tournament and play hard, that's the goal. Our last two coaches, Anthony Grant and Avery Johnson, played really slow, sloppy brands of basketball. I am envious when I watch games like Purdue/UT last night, Duke/UCF, and your Buffalo teams, who move the ball well, take care of the ball, and score efficiently. We have been the polar opposite - our team generally consists of a bunch of really great athletes playing rag-tag ball and generally not giving much effort. That's one of the main reasons we are excited about having Coach Oats. He is the opposite of everything we have come to expect in a good way. You guys have a hell of a program and, in the eyes of most basketball savvy fans around the country, are becoming a program in the mold of Gonzaga, VCU, Wichita, etc. where you've built it to a point that people expect you to keep doing well even if you lose coaches. Would love any perspective on Nate Oats. We will absolutely be pulling for you guys from now on and perhaps we can get a home and home scheduled or find a way to match up in a pre-conference tournament.