Life is pretty good for Alabama basketball. The Crimson Tide is in the Final Four for the first time in program history, and Nate Oats’ build of what had turned into a moribund program has been extremely successful.

Alabama is a good place to be for its players, with solid facilities, training staff and more. For much of the 2023-24 team, the trappings of Tuscaloosa are appreciated, given where they’ve come from.

Much of the roster was built through the transfer portal, coming to UA from mid-majors, junior colleges and more. According to Oats, who came from the high school and mid-major coaching ranks himself, those journeys have helped the Tide appreciate where it is.

“I think those guys are mid-major players with a chip on their shoulder,” Oats said. “They played well enough that now they get an opportunity to prove that they belong at this level, and they’re still trying to prove it to this day. They’re going to try to prove it Saturday that they belong at this level.”

The most obvious example is Mark Sears. The guard from Muscle Shoals started his career at Ohio. He joined the Crimson Tide before the 2022-23 season, and Oats admitted before leaving for Arizona that he’s a bit surprised by how much Sears has improved through the years.

Oats acknowledged that Alabama “Screwed up,” by not taking Sears out of high school. However, he said he didn’t think the guard would be the same player if he didn’t take the mid-major journey.

“Out of high school he had to go to Hargrave,” Oats said. “He has to go to Ohio. Didn’t shoot well as a freshman, got to prove he’s a shooter. Plays well. We take him. He ends up being our second leading scorer. Now this year he’s our leading scorer and he’s improved every year.”

Aaron Estrada has been all over throughout his college career. Before coming to Alabama, the New Jersey native started at St. Peters, then transferred to Oregon, then to Hofstra.

For his final season of eligibility, Estrada said he wanted to have a chance at a national title. That quest brought him to Tuscaloosa.

“It’s been a mental battle really,” Estrada said. “Just trying to find myself. Trying to find where I fit at, where I best thrive at. I learned something new in each phase of my career, each year. Going to Hofstra, coming here, each step I kind of learned a little bit more about myself.”

Grant Nelson was a star at North Dakota State. The forward had entered the NBA Draft after last season, but opted to pull out of that and transfer to Alabama in an effort to make himself more league-ready.

He went through ups and downs throughout the year, but starred in the Crimson Tide’s Sweet Sixteen upset of North Carolina.

“I think we got a lot of guys who have been in situations before where it wasn’t the best or it wasn’t to the level of the high-major, how it is here,” Nelson said. “It kind of gives us a look at what teams have to go through. I think it gives us a humbler beginning, where we had to work for what we got. I’m not saying people don’t work for it, but it’s just great having access to what we have now and I think it does give us a little more motivation.”

Nick Pringle took an even more extended journey to college basketball’s biggest event. He started out his career at Wofford in the Southern Conference, but didn’t play much.

The South Carolina native then took the JuCo route, heading to Dodge City Community College in Kansas. He found his way to Alabama before last season.

Each year built him. At Wofford, he learned how to support his teammates in a non-starring role, but said he didn’t do well academically and his work ethic was lacking.

At Dodge City, he learned how to lead, got ahead of his studies and improved his game. Now, he’s a key member of a Final Four team.

“I just played with a different demeanor,” Pringle said of his time in Kansas. “I just found a new attitude, just the dog out of me. Nothing’s going to be given to me, it’s all going to be earned.”

Alabama and UConn are set to tip off at approximately 7:49 p.m. CT Saturday in Arizona. The game will be aired on TBS.