Jim Boeheim Rips Nate Oats for Questioning Coach K After Comments on Season

Alabama men's basketball head coach Nate Oats criticized Duke men's hoops coach Mike Krzyzewski on Thursday after he suggested pausing the season amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Saturday, Syracuse men's basketball head coach Jim Boeheim criticized Oats for his remarks, which implied that Krzyzewski made the decision because the Blue Devils had lost two nonconference games at home.

Mike Rodak of AL.com provided the quotes from Boeheim, who brought up the subject unprompted:

"I would like to address one thing here that's important. First of all, everybody knows Mike Krzyzewski is a friend of mine. But Mike said in the summer and September, and October, that we should delay the season.

"For some young coach who should know better but didn't to suggest that Mike Krzyzewski didn't want to play because he lost a couple games. Yeah, he's only won 1,100. Anybody who knows anything about college basketball knows that Mike Krzyzewski said that in the very beginning. In the very beginning, looking into a delay of the season, a delay of the tournament."

Krzyzewski expressed his opinion on the matter following his team's game against Illinois on Tuesday.

"I would just like for the safety, the mental and physical health of players and staff to assess where we're at," Coach K said.

He also cited the rising COVID-19 numbers and the possibility that vaccines may be available later this winter.

"People are saying the next six weeks are going to be the worst. To me, it's already pretty bad. On the other side of it, there are these vaccines that are coming out. By the end of the month, 20 million vaccine shots will be given. By the end of January or in February, another 100 million. Should we not reassess that? See just what would be best?"

Duke has canceled the remainder of the nonconference games on its slate: A Dec. 19 battle with Gardner-Webb and previously scheduled games with Elon and Charleston Southern that were postponed because of COVID-19 concerns.

Krzyzewski made the comments after his team's 83-68 loss to Illinois. Two days later, Oats made the following remarks while disagreeing with the Duke head coach.

"Do you think if Coach K hadn't lost his two nonconference games at home that he would still be saying that?" Oats said, per ESPN's Myron Medcalf.

"We 100 percent should be playing basketball."

Duke lost to Michigan State 75-69 earlier this season as well.

As for Boeheim, the Syracuse head coach disagreed with Coach K, saying he felt college basketball should continue. However, he also expressed further disappointment in Oats' comments.

"Mike Krzyzewski—anybody who thinks that he might not play because his team lost two games, it really is sad. I feel bad for somebody that would make a statement like that. I can understand how bloggers do that because they don't—that's what they do.

"But Mike Krzyzewski isn't saying that because he doesn't want to play or he doesn't have a good team. He said that consistently from the beginning of the year and it's sad to see somebody say something like that. It really speaks to somebody's character.

"That's my sermon for the day."

For now, the college basketball season will march on. Duke will take the court next on Dec. 16 against Notre Dame.