Alabama basketball coach Nate Oats didn't mince words. And he didn't hold back.

He issued a clear and distinct challenge to his players Tuesday ahead of Alabama basketball vs. Auburn (16-2, 5-0 SEC) on Wednesday.

"I am still trying to figure out, are we a competitive group that does what it takes to win?" Oats said. "Or do we just got a lot of really talented players that fold when they're in the middle of tough games against good teams? I'm not sure yet. I hope we have some competitive guys."

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The Crimson Tide (12-6, 4-1) is fresh off a 20-point loss to Tennessee and now the Tigers, who are first in the SEC, are next up. Alabama has won 12 games this season, but it has also lost six to good teams. The Crimson Tide has defeated the teams it is expected to beat, but when it comes to many of the big matchups, Alabama has not found a way to finish.

"If you look at the metrics, and I've told our guys this, yeah it's great, we've blown out some bad teams by a lot, so our efficiency metrics look good," Oats said. "In the games that matter, we're not coming up with enough wins. (Auburn) has come up with a lot more wins. We'll see tomorrow. I don't really have the answer to that."

Oats said his players need to compete more, play together more and take care of the ball more.

"We have to figure out how to win tough, close games," Oats said.

Alabama faces Auburn on Wednesday (6:30 p.m., ESPN) at Coleman Coliseum.

Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball vs. Auburn: Nate Oats challenges team before game