Goodman: Nate Oats takes a mighty swing at Bruce Pearl

Alabama doesn’t play Auburn in basketball until mid-February, but the comparisons will begin now.

Give the first round of fisticuffs to Nate Oats, the masterful coach of the Crimson Tide.

Alabama lit Birmingham’s Legacy Arena ablaze on Wednesday night, and then afterwards Oats scorched Pearl with a burn that will sting throughout the cold winter.

Displaying the type of depth that can deliver a league title and earn a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Alabama defeated a good Illinois team 100-87. Notable was the fact that Alabama’s veteran guard, Mark Sears, didn’t score a single point, and apparently even benched himself, and yet Illinois trailed by double digits for most of the game.

Sears didn’t speak with reporters during post-game, but, according to Oats, Alabama’s starting point guard held himself out of the second half because he could see that his backcourt mates had things under control. Starting two-guard Latrell Wrightsell, Jr., had an efficient 16 points, but the headlines will go to Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway.

Labaron, the freshman from Mobile, had a LeBron-esque 16 points, nine assists and seven rebounds. Holloway, the transfer from Auburn, had 18 points on 7 of 10 shooting and 3 of 4 from distance.