Did Nate Oats Not Have Alabama Prepared Or Is He Just Quickly Becoming The Biggest March Choke Artist?

What I've learned from reading blogs on here is that if you are a top team in March with NBA talent and don't win, you're a choke artist. Well, Nate Oats happens to coach the No. 1 overall seed with a top-3 pick and couldn't even get out of the Sweet 16. That makes it twice in two years that he's had a top-2 seed and couldn't even get to the Elite Eight. So now I'm starting to wonder if he's just becoming the biggest choke artist already? I mean to not make an Elite Eight with this team? Sad. 

But then there's the flip side. A Duke, Bryant, Kansas State, Iowa, Alabama fan once recently wrote that a coach didn't have his team prepared because the hottest player in the Tournament went nuclear on them. Did Nate Oats not know what to expect with San Diego State? A slow tempo, defense oriented team that has run the same defense for years now. It's not like they changed anything up. They just did their thing.

And this isn't just posing a question about Nate Oats. This is credit to San Diego State. Shit, Matt Bradley - their leading scorer and arguably best player - was unplayable for 35 minutes of the game. He couldn't even hit the rim on midrange jumpers. But he sealed it late with some free throws and a ridiculous split of the press.

 Then there was Darrion Trammell. Former Seattle U star who lit up Alabama. It's not like he's from nowhere. He's started every game, did Oats not hit the tape? He was the leading scorer in the WAC. He has plenty of tape out there. That's not enough tape? Okay, well what about Nathan Mensah? Did Oats not tell his guards he's an elite shot blocker and has been for years? That's been on tape, but sure, keep having Jahvon Quinerly drive to the rim and get blocked. That worked out. 

So like I said, credit to San Diego State. They flat out won that game. They were tougher than Alabama. They were more poised than Alabama. They got contributions from everyone with Bradley struggling. I'm just a blogger posing a question. Nate Oats - unprepared or choke artist?