Nate Oats, Bruce Pearl and others pay tribute to late Alabama basketball super fan Luke Ratliff
Alabama basketball super fan Luke Ratliff died Friday at age 23. The UA student from North Carolina was the program's most visible supporter, catching the attention and earning shout-outs from UA coach Nate Oats during the 2020-21 season.
He also touched others, including rival coaches. Here is a sampling of social media reactions to his passing.
Oats expressed his grief on Twitter, saying "Loved sharing this ride with him. You’ll be missed dearly my man!"
Auburn coach Bruce Pearl and South Carolina coach Frank Martin also noted Ratliff's passing.
Cecil Hurt's remembrance:Alabama basketball lost its biggest fan with the passing of Luke Ratliff, and I lost a friend
Tom Hart of the SEC Network paid tribute during the broadcast of the Vanderbilt-LSU baseball game Friday night.
SEC basketball Player of the Year Herbert Jones, who was a senior forward at Alabama, took to Twitter to support Ratliff's family and pay his respects.
Ratliff's passing was also noted by other Alabama athletes, including 2019 SEC softball pitcher of the year Sarah Cornell.
