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The Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team has great expectations heading into its first season of SEC competition in 2024-25.
The Texas Longhorns women’s basketball team has great expectations heading into its first season of SEC competition in 2024-25. Continue reading “Texas women’s basketball ranked No. 2 in ESPN’s way-too-early Top 25”
Alabama basketball enters March Madness ranked No. 18 in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Alabama basketball is preparing to bounce back after its recent struggles. There’s no better time to turn things around than the start of the March Madness tournament. After losing in the quarterfinals to Florida, the Crimson Tide managed to move up a spot in the lates USA TODAY Coaches Poll.
Now ranked No. 18 in the poll, the Tide is only focused on one thing: making a run in the NCAA tournament to win a national championship.
Nate Oats and his team are the No. 4 seed in the West Region and will kick things off on Friday in Spokane, Washington against No. 13 seed Charleston.
IT’S BRACKET MADNESS: Enter USA TODAY’S NCAA Tournament bracket contest for a chance at $1 million prize.
Defense has been a big concern for Alabama and has been the main reason for a handful of the losses the Tide has suffered in the 2023-2024 season. When this team is hot, there’s no stopping them. However, if they come out flat-footed, it may be an uphill battle to make the Round of 32.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama basketball as March Madness gets started.
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM.
Alabama basketball’s latest losses have hurt them in the most recent USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Top 25.
Alabama basketball enters the final week of the 2023-2024 regular season with an overall record of 20-9 and an in-conference record of 12-4 against SEC opponents. After losing at home to Tennessee, the Crimson Tide falls four spots in the latest rankings.
The final two games of the regular season will be on the road against Florida and at home against Arkansas. Nate Oats and his team will look to not only win those games, but do so convincingly. Everything matters at this point with NCAA Tournament Seeding on the line.
See where Alabama and other notable opponents rank in the latest Coaches Poll.
A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | Houston | 26-3 | 795 (28) | – |
| 2 | UConn | 26-3 | 757 (3) | – |
| 3 | Purdue | 26-3 | 745 (1) | – |
| 4 | Tennessee | 23-6 | 705 | – |
| 5 | Arizona | 23-6 | 644 | +2 |
| 6 | Iowa State | 23-6 | 629 | – |
| 7 | North Carolina | 23-6 | 628 | +1 |
| 8 | Duke | 23-6 | 541 | +2 |
| 9 | Marquette | 22-7 | 531 | -4 |
| 10 | Creighton | 22-8 | 487 | +2 |
| 11 | Baylor | 21-8 | 452 | +3 |
| 12 | Illinois | 22-7 | 423 | +4 |
| 13 | Kentucky | 21-8 | 396 | +2 |
| 14 | Auburn | 22-7 | 376 | -3 |
| 15 | Kansas | 21-8 | 366 | -6 |
| 16 | South Carolina | 24-5 | 298 | +2 |
| 17 | Alabama | 20-9 | 289 | -4 |
| 18 | Gonzaga | 24-6 | 215 | +4 |
| 19 | San Diego State | 22-7 | 194 | – |
| 20 | Washington State | 23-7 | 182 | +1 |
| 21 | Saint Mary’s | 24-7 | 175 | -4 |
| 22 | Utah State | 24-5 | 151 | +1 |
| 23 | BYU | 21-8 | 140 | +3 |
| 24 | South Florida | 22-5 | 88 | +1 |
| 25 | Florida | 20-9 | 42 | -1 |
No. 20 Dayton
Dayton 31; Texas Tech 24; Nevada 24; Boise State 16; App State 13; James Madison 10; Oklahoma 8; Northwestern 7; Indiana State 5; Clemson 5; TCU 4; Wake Forest 3; Nebraska 1;
Alabama continues to rise in the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll Top-25
Alabama basketball has managed to string together a handful of impressive in-conference wins after starting the 2023-2024 season a bit slow. The team has taken down some quality teams in a dominating fashion and managed to win some narrow contests against programs near the top.
Next up for the Crimson Tide is a short road trip to the eastern side of the state, where the team will take on Auburn after beating them in Tuscaloosa just a short time ago.
The SEC has picked up steam as the season has progressed, but anything can happen with so much time remaining before the conference and NCAA Tournaments.
After being ranked No. 22 last week, Alabama makes a considerable jump up to No. 16 in this week’s top-25 poll.
A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | UConn | 20-2 | 793 (25) | – |
| 2 | Purdue | 21-2 | 775 (7) | – |
| 3 | North Carolina | 18-4 | 710 | – |
| 4 | Kansas | 18-4 | 683 | +5 |
| 5 | Houston | 19-3 | 662 | -1 |
| 6 | Tennessee | 16-5 | 647 | -1 |
| 7 | Marquette | 17-5 | 573 | +3 |
| 8 | Arizona | 17-5 | 525 | +4 |
| 9 | Wisconsin | 16-6 | 505 | -3 |
| 10 | Duke | 16-5 | 469 | -3 |
| 11 | Auburn | 18-4 | 450 | +5 |
| 12 | Illinois | 17-5 | 430 | +2 |
| 13 | Baylor | 16-5 | 394 | +5 |
| 14 | Iowa State | 16-5 | 387 | -3 |
| 15 | Kentucky | 15-6 | 297 | -7 |
| 16 | Alabama | 16-6 | 285 | +6 |
| 17 | Dayton | 18-3 | 265 | +2 |
| 18 | Creighton | 16-6 | 261 | -5 |
| 19 | BYU | 16-5 | 234 | +2 |
| 20 | South Carolina | 19-3 | 221 | +8 |
| 21 | Utah State | 19-3 | 167 | -4 |
| 22 | Florida Atlantic | 18-4 | 161 | +1 |
| 23 | Texas Tech | 16-5 | 133 | -8 |
| 24 | San Diego State | 17-5 | 68 | +2 |
| 25 | New Mexico | 18-4 | 60 | -5 |
No. 24 Oklahoma; No. 25 TCU
Saint Mary’s 57; Indiana State 45; TCU 36; Colorado State 32; Virginia 17; Oklahoma 12; Grand Canyon 12; Northwestern 8; Boise State 7; Gonzaga 6; Texas 5; Michigan State 4; Ole Miss 2; App State 2
Alabama’s string of recent wins boosts the Crimson Tide in the latest USA Today Sports Coaches Poll.
Alabama basketball has only suffered one loss in the SEC so far, which was on the road to Tennessee. Since then, the Crimson Tide has won two straight. The pair of wins was enough to boost the team back into the Top 25 of the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Those impressive wins came at home against in-state rival, and then-sixth-ranked, Auburn, and LSU.
Coming up for the Crimson Tide are a few interesting matchups, headlined by a short road trip to Auburn for the rematch.
In the latest ranking, Alabama moves up to No. 22, which makes it the fourth highest-ranked SEC team in the Top 25.
A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | UConn | 18-2 | 766 (23) | – |
| 2 | Purdue | 19-2 | 746 (8) | – |
| 3 | North Carolina | 17-3 | 710 | – |
| 4 | Houston | 18-2 | 680 | – |
| 5 | Tennessee | 15-4 | 658 | – |
| 6 | Wisconsin | 16-4 | 593 | +4 |
| 6 | Duke | 15-4 | 512 | +5 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 15-4 | 510 | -2 |
| 9 | Kansas | 16-4 | 503 | -1 |
| 10 | Marquette | 15-5 | 454 | +5 |
| 11 | Iowa State | 16-4 | 408 | +7 |
| 12 | Arizona | 15-5 | 405 | -3 |
| 13 | Creighton | 16-5 | 367 | +3 |
| 14 | Illinois | 15-5 | 359 | -3 |
| 15 | Texas Tech | 16-3 | 340 | +6 |
| 16 | Auburn | 16-4 | 331 | -10 |
| 17 | Utah State | 18-2 | 258 | +3 |
| 18 | Baylor | 14-5 | 188 | -4 |
| 19 | Dayton | 16-3 | 166 | -2 |
| 20 | New Mexico | 18-3 | 162 | +5 |
| 21 | BYU | 15-5 | 153 | -2 |
| 22 | Alabama | 14-6 | 147 | +4 |
| 23 | Florida Atlantic | 17-4 | 122 | +1 |
| 24 | Oklahoma | 15-5 | 106 | -11 |
| 25 | TCU | 15-5 | 99 | +5 |
No. 22 Memphis; No. 23 Colorado State;
San Diego State 67; Ole Miss 57; South Carolina 46; Gonzaga 38; Memphis 26; Northwestern 23; Colorado State 14; Indiana State 13; Texas11; Grand Canyon 9; Saint Mary’s 5; Virginia 4; McNeese State 4; App State 4; Seton Hall 2; Cornell 2; Princeton 1;
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM.
Alabama basketball continues to inch its way back into the top 25 of the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Alabama men’s basketball continues to improve in the rankings, despite suffering another loss on the road to a strong Tennessee team. In the latest USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, the Crimson Tide failed to make the Top 25, but are tied with 43 votes as the first team left out.
The SEC schedule is a gauntlet, but Alabama seems to welcome it as a challenge that can help the team prove its strength. Despite having an overall record of 12-6, the Tide sits at 4-1 in conference play.
Head coach Nate Oats and his team will host Auburn, ranked no. 6 in the latest poll, in a mid-week game that not only serves as a key SEC matchup, but an in-state rivalry that continues to heat up every single time the two programs meet.
There is plenty of time left in the 2023-2024 season for the Crimson Tide to improve its resumé.
A look at the full Coaches Poll powered by USA TODAY Sports:
| Rank | Team | Record | Points | Change |
| 1 | UConn | 17-2 | 791 (24) | – |
| 2 | Purdue | 17-2 | 769 (8) | – |
| 3 | North Carolina | 15-3 | 734 | – |
| 4 | Houston | 16-2 | 678 | +1 |
| 5 | Tennessee | 14-4 | 671 | +2 |
| 6 | Kentucky | 14-3 | 609 | +4 |
| 6 | Auburn | 16-2 | 609 | +5 |
| 8 | Kansas | 15-3 | 576 | -4 |
| 9 | Arizona | 14-4 | 528 | +4 |
| 10 | Wisconsin | 14-4 | 480 | -2 |
| 11 | Illinois | 14-4 | 437 | +3 |
| 12 | Duke | 13-4 | 421 | -6 |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 15-3 | 401 | +3 |
| 14 | Baylor | 14-4 | 362 | -5 |
| 15 | Marquette | 13-5 | 360 | +3 |
| 16 | Creighton | 14-5 | 299 | -1 |
| 17 | Dayton | 15-2 | 277 | +6 |
| 18 | Iowa State | 14-4 | 220 | +2 |
| 19 | BYU | 14-4 | 181 | – |
| 20 | Utah State | 17-2 | 176 | -3 |
| 21 | Texas Tech | 15-3 | 148 | +4 |
| 22 | Memphis | 15-4 | 130 | -10 |
| 23 | Colorado State | 15-3 | 119 | +3 |
| 24 | Florida Atlantic | 15-4 | 101 | +3 |
| 25 | New Mexico | 16-3 | 54 | +20 |
No. 21 Ole Miss; No. 22 TCU; No. 24 San Diego State
San Diego State 43; Alabama 43; Seton Hall 33; Gonzaga 30; TCU 26; Texas 18; Clemson 15; Kansas State 14; Princeton 13; Utah 10; Saint Mary’s 6; Boise State 5; Indiana State 4; Grand Canyon 4; Ole Miss 2; James Madison 2; Michigan State 1
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama basketball as the season progresses.
Contact/Follow us @RollTideWire on X, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Alabama news, notes and opinion. You can also follow AJ Spurr on X @SpurrFM.
Alabama’s recent win over Eastern Kentucky earned the Tide a few votes in the latest AP Top-25 Poll.
Alabama basketball dominated Eastern Kentucky at home in the Tide’s most recent win. However, it wasn’t enough to make up for the three consecutive losses suffered at the hands of three then-top-10 ranked teams.
In the latest AP men’s basketball Top-25 Poll, the Crimson Tide received a total of two votes.
While this may be discouraging to some fans, it is important to remember that the season is still very young and this team has a ton of talent on it.
Only one non-conference game remains before Alabama heads into SEC play, which should be very interesting.
Last year, the Tide was the top-ranked team entering the NCAA men’s basketball “March Madness” Tournament. This year, while they may not be ranked as high, Alabama is still a team to be reckoned with.
Roll Tide Wire will continue to follow Alabama basketball as the team prepares to take on Liberty at home on Dec. 30.
The Texas Longhorns will look to duplicate some of last season’s successes on the basketball court.
It’s a new day in Texas basketball. The program gets ready to embark on its first full season with head coach Rodney Terry following a Big 12 Tournament title and Elite Eight appearance.
There’s a stability and security we haven’t seen from the program since the days of former head coach Rick Barnes. There’s a proven track record on which Texas can depend.
Terry and company got the job done in big games last season after weathering an early season storm with former head coach Chris Beard. Terry carried the program out of chaos to among college basketball’s elite. Yet after losing several key players, a new challenge stands ahead of Texas.
The Longhorns will take the court without Marcus Carr, Sir’Jabari Rice, Timmy Allen, Arterio Morris and Christian Bishop among others. With that, the team loses the majority of its production from last season.
The team will, however, return its best post scorer in Dylan Disu who shined in the back half of the season. Texas also brings back point guard Tyrese Hunter and key forwards in Brock Cunningham and Dillon Mitchell.
A late portal haul helped the team add more scorers and defensive pieces to the roster. Oral Roberts’ Max Abmas stands as the team’s prized portal addition after leading his squad in back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances. Abmas averaged 21.9 points and 4.0 assists last season.
Virginia transfer Kadin Shedrick is set to give Texas a defensive post presence. He is joined by UT-Arlington guard transfer Chendall Weaver and UTEP forward addition Ze’Rik Onyema. Expectations should be lower for the latter two players, though their contribution could prove essential.
It’s unclear what to expect from the team. Certainly, it’s unrealistic to expect Texas will move as cohesively as last season where several players were already in place. Nevertheless, the new-look Longhorns have a ton of potential. If last year is any indication, head coach Rodney Terry will maximize their performance and win when it matters.
Texas tips off against Incarnate Word on Nov. 6 with big tests against Louisville and Shaka Smart’s Marquette later in nonconference play.
The #Big12MBB stage is set ⏳ pic.twitter.com/H5y0hDAzdm
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 13, 2023
The Longhorns are coming off their best season on the court since 2008.
The Longhorns are coming off their best season on the court since 2008 despite the major distractions from the Chris Beard incident. Continue reading “Texas basketball comes in at No. 20 in CBS Sports’ Top 25”
Jeff Goodman of Stadium is extremely high on the Spartans entering next year
Jeff Goodman of Stadium is extremely high on the Spartans entering next season.
Michigan State will enter next season listed in the preseason top 25 polls, but where do the experts see the Spartans exactly landing? Goodman has the Spartans near the top at No. 3. He has Michigan State behind only No. 1 Marquette and No. 2 Duke.
Here’s what Goodman had to say about Michigan State:
“Tom Izzo and the Spartans could be loaded if Tyson Walker and Malik Hall opt to return for another year. Izzo brings back AJ Hoggard, Jaden Akins, Jaxon Kohler and Mady Sissoko, and a talented freshman class led by skilled forward Xavier Booker and point guard Jeremy Fears.”
Michigan State is one of only three Big Ten teams listed in Goodman’s preseason rankings. The other two are Purdue (No. 5) and Maryland (No. 21).
Check out the rankings from Goodman below:
Against my better judgment, here’s the Ridiculously and Insanely Early College Basketball 2023-24 Preseason Top 25.
MARQUETTE IS NUMBER ONE!!!
It’ll be updated often throughout the offseason. https://t.co/girc1q9eeU
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) April 3, 2023
Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan state news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Robert Bondy on Twitter @RobertBondy5.
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