The thrill of March Madness has come to a close, as the UConn Huskies defeated the Purdue Boilermakers to win a second consecutive national championship. However, the Huskies aren’t the only winners. The Alabama Crimson Tide made unprecedented strides and appeared in the program’s first-ever Final Four.
Success in March leads to a recruiting boost, more fan involvement, and in the current era of college athletics, more name, image, likeness money.
Alabama’s deep tournament run resulted in a massive jump in the right direction in the final USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, moving up 14 spots all the way to No. 4.
The full USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UConn | 37-3 | 775 (31) | – |
| 2 | Purdue | 34-5 | 744 | +1 |
| 3 | Houston | 32-5 | 651 | -1 |
| 4 | Alabama | 25-12 | 542 | +14 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 27-9 | 638 | +1 |
| 6 | North Carolina | 29-8 | 578 | -1 |
| 7 | Illinois | 29-9 | 561 | +3 |
| 8 | Iowa State | 29-8 | 539 | -4 |
| 9 | Duke | 27-9 | 521 | +5 |
| 10 | Creighton | 25-10 | 473 | +1 |
| 11 | Marquette | 27-10 | 457 | -3 |
| 12 | Arizona | 27-9 | 440 | -3 |
| 13 | North Carolina State | 26-15 | 389 | +20 |
| 14 | Baylor | 24-11 | 330 | -1 |
| 15 | Clemson | 24-12 | 325 | – |
| 16 | Gonzaga | 27-8 | 312 | – |
| 17 | Auburn | 27-8 | 302 | -10 |
| 18 | San Diego State | 26-11 | 217 | +7 |
| 19 | Kentucky | 23-10 | 171 | -7 |
| 20 | Utah State | 28-7 | 164 | -1 |
| 21 | Kansas | 23-11 | 135 | -1 |
| 22 | Saint Mary’s | 26-8 | 128 | -7 |
| 23 | South Carolina | 26-8 | 124 | -6 |
| 24 | Washington State | 25-10 | 62 | +3 |
| 25 | Texas Tech | 23-11 | 49 | -3 |
Patrick Conn of the College Sports Wire broke down the winners and losers of the final Coaches Poll and named the Crimson Tide as a winner.
“What a job by Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide. They advanced to their first Final Four in school history after winning the West Region. They had to finish off the No. 1 North Carolina Tar Heels and No. 6 Clemson Tigers to get there. The Tide gave UConn a run but it just wasn’t enough as the Huskies prevailed.
“After a pair of Sweet 16 appearances and this run to the Final Four, what does the former math teacher have in store for 2024-25?”
Head coach Nate Oats and the Crimson Tide have a bright future together and fans have many reasons to be excited for the 2024-2025 college basketball season.
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