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NCAA basketball: Buffalo’s Nate Oats should be in Coach of the Year conversation

OMAHA, NEBRASKA-NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Nate Oats of the Buffalo Bulls reacts during their game against the Creighton Bluejays at the CenturyLink Center on November 29, 2016 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images)
OMAHA, NEBRASKA-NOVEMBER 29: Head coach Nate Oats of the Buffalo Bulls reacts during their game against the Creighton Bluejays at the CenturyLink Center on November 29, 2016 in Omaha, Nebraska. (Photo by Eric Francis/Getty Images)

The job that Nate Oats has done this season with the Buffalo Bulls makes him worthy of the Coach of the Year conversation alongside some of college basketball’s best.

The ten semifinalists in contention for the Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year Award were announced this past week, many of which are worthy of consideration for this prestigious honor. With the years Purdue, Texas Tech, and Virginia are enjoying, it goes without saying that Matt Painter, Chris Beard, and Tony Bennett are among the best coaches in the country.

But even though it may be difficult to argue with the semifinalists, one name that should be added into the coach of the year conversation is Nate Oats of the Buffalo Bulls. Buffalo isn’t ranked, nor are they even necessarily a lock for the NCAA tournament. Still, when taking a look at overall coaching performance, Oats is having a whale of a campaign.

The Bulls are 21-8 overall on the year, but even more impressively, hold a 13-3 record inside the Mid-American conference. Oats is coaching in just his third season at the collegiate level, and has already led the Bulls to their second tournament appearance in 2016, and was a part of their first run to the big dance the previous season.

Even so, Oats has done his best work with the team this season. Dominating in conference play, the Bulls are set to be the top seed in the MAC tournament, and they’re showing no signs of slowing down. Especially offensively, the team has thrived this season, averaging 85 points a game through 29 games played.

The Bulls have protected their home court, going 13-1 at Alumni Arena on the season. They have put themselves in the extremely rare position of being considered for an at large bid without even winning their conference yet, even as a mid major program.

And they’ve done it all with two seniors on the entire roster, only one that frequently starts. Sure, the Bulls have talent, like that of junior guard CJ Massinburg or the sharpshooter Jeremy Harris. They lack the standout player, however, which is evident in their style of play.

Buffalo’s success this season is due to their ability to work together, a credit to coaching. After a 17-15 season last year with a similar team, Oats has really done a remarkable job with the group of players the program has, even if they are still flying somewhat under the radar.

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Ultimately, it is time for the Bulls to receive some national recognition. Their success has put them in a position where they will very likely be playing in March, and possibly doing some damage.

Considering the composition of the roster, coaching has a lot to do with Buffalo’s 21-8 campaign. And while there’s no reason to discredit the seasons the Virginias and Purdues of college basketball have had, there’s also no reason to make the assumption that the coach of the year must come from a power conference school.

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For some reason, that is exactly what the NCAA seems to think. All ten semifinalists for coach of the year come from power conference schools. It is reasonable to leave it up for debate whether or not Oats would actually take home the honor, but overlooking him and all successful mid major coaches for that matter is a mistake.