Barkley Critiques Coach’s Decision on Injured Nelson Ahead of March Madness

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Ahead of their first-round meeting with Robert Morris, basketball analyst Charles Barkley expressed strong opinions regarding Alabama coach Nate Oats‘ handling of injured player Noah Nelson during a pregame broadcast.

As the Crimson Tide prepared for the pivotal March Madness game on Friday, Oats informed viewers on truTV that Nelson would warm up and be dressed but would not start due to his recovery from a knee injury sustained in the SEC tournament against Florida. Oats stated Nelson would be ‘available if needed.’

Barkley didn’t hold back his criticism during the Alabama vs. Robert Morris pregame show. ‘I hate it though,’ Barkley remarked. ‘First of all, Sears, he’s terrific. But I thought Nelson was the reason why they went all the way to the Final Four. He was tremendous.’ Barkley added, ‘I don’t like when they phrase it this way. If you’re going to warm up, you’re warm. Now you’re going to go back to the bench and cool off with a leg injury; that makes no sense.’

Further addressing the situation, Barkley said, ‘They say he’s not starting, but he’s available. No. You either play or you can’t play. I think that leaves too much doubt in the player and the team. I would love for them to say if he’s just not ready, he’s not ready.’ He stressed the importance of clarity from the coaching staff concerning player readiness, stating, ‘You can never leave it up to the player. Players always want to play. A coach is the leader of men. You make decisions.’

Nelson was evaluated by a knee specialist following the SEC tournament, with Oats indicating that the forward ‘dodged a bullet’ regarding the severity of his injury. This season, Nelson has contributed an average of 11.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per game.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Nelson’s availability, Barkley concluded that Alabama would not require his presence to secure a victory against Robert Morris. ‘Alabama, no disrespect, you don’t need him to beat Robert Morris,’ he stated.

Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. He can be reached via email or followed on X, formerly known as Twitter.