Alabama coach Nate Oats pushes Missouri player during tie-up in front of bench

Alabama men’s basketball head coach Nate Oats pushed Missouri player Aidan Shaw in the first half of the Crimson Tide’s 93-75 victory on Tuesday night.

Alabama and Missouri players got tied up right in front of the Crimson Tide bench with 7:34 left in the first half. Oats stepped on the floor in front of one of his players and pushed Shaw backward.

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Alabama head coach Nate Oats talks to an official during the game against Missouri at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Jan. 16, 2024. (Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports)

No technical fouls were handed out over the play, but the coach drew ire from Missouri fans over the incident.

Oats, who picked up the 200th win of his career, said he apologized to Shaw and Tigers coach Dennis Gates.

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"I have all the respect in the world for the job [Gates has] done as an assistant and head coach," Oats said after the game, via ESPN. "No disrespect to him or his program. I apologized to both Coach Gates and Aidan Shaw. Aidan seems like a great kid. It's an unfortunate situation, but I apologized to both of them."

Gates confirmed Oats’ apology and wondered why a technical foul was not assessed. 

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Alabama head coach Nate Oats talks to his team during a timeout as they play Missouri at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Jan. 16, 2024. (Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports)

"Nate apologized after the game," Gates said. "But I just posed the question: If that was players in a huddle with a hand on an opponent, what would take place? It would be an automatic technical foul, right? I thought I saw two referees in the huddle. It wasn't a technical foul. But that's the question I would pose. If it was players making hand contact, what would take place?"

According to SEC rules, coaches are among those who are "expected to conduct themselves with honesty, integrity, and good sportsmanship, and shall therefore exhibit respect and courtesy towards opposing student-athletes, coaches, and game officials."

Aaron Estrada and Rylen Griffin led Alabama with 21 points each. Estrada added eight rebounds and four assists, while Griffen had five rebounds and three assists.

Missouri’s Tamar Bates had 19 points and Nick Honor added 18.

Jan 16, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama guard Aaron Estrada drives around Missouri forward Aidan Shaw, #23, in their game at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Jan. 16, 2024. (Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports)

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Alabama moved to 12-5 on the year and 4-0 against SEC opponents. Missouri fell to 8-9 and 0-4 in SEC play.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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