The opening game of Nate Oats’ Alabama basketball career did not go as planned. There was much enthusiasm for the new coach and his style of basketball. Few Crimson Tide fans gave notice to the opponent. The Penn Quakers of the Ivy League were a team to be taken seriously. The game gave no indication the Tide players and coaching staff were prepared for anything other than a hard contest.
A hard game is just what the Tide received. Before battling back, late in the second half, the Crimson Tide trailed the Ivy League team by as much as nine points.