Realistic candidates Kentucky should target if John Calipari era comes to an end

Fire. Passion. Intensity. Fun. Winning. Nate Oats has brought all of those elements to an Alabama basketball program that has and will always be second-fiddle on its own campus.

Thus, he would likely relish the opportunity to lead one of the nation's top basketball programs and be the main attraction in his state. Kentucky would be wise to consider that possibility.

With the Tide, Oats is 114-53 as head coach. That includes four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. What's more, he's twice reached the Sweet 16 with the Crimson Tide, something that Calipari has struggled to do in recent years with the Wildcats.

Even while at Buffalo he won big going 96-43 overall in four seasons. There he reached the NCAA Tournament three times winning a game in two of those trips.

With Bama, Oats has become a master recruiter. He has brought in terrific talent from both the high school ranks and the transfer portal.

Using the portal more effectively is something Kentucky has to do moving forward. However, it's also something Coach Cal has been reluctant to fully embrace.

Another element of adding Oats to the Wildcat family would be that it would weaken an SEC team that has risen to the upper echelon of the conference hierarchy in recent years to challenge Kentucky's standing as the best program in the league. Thus, Oats would be a shrewd hire on multiple fronts.