Expectations for the Alabama Crimson Tide were never higher than they were entering the 2024-25 college basketball season. Nate Oats’ team was ranked No. 2 in the preseason AP and USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and was seen as the most likely team to win the SEC.
Two months later, with the Crimson Tide set to face the No. 10 Oklahoma Sooners at Coleman Coliseum to open SEC play this weekend, it’s another SEC team that sits atop both the Coaches Poll and AP Top 25: the rival Tennessee Volunteers (12-0).
And it’s Alabama’s biggest rival who is listed as the projected top seed come March by ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi. In Lunardi’s updated March Madness forecast entering 2025, he has the Auburn Tigers (11-1) as the No. 1 overall seed. Tennessee, Duke and Iowa State were awarded the other No. 1 seeds by the ESPN veteran.
Alabama, 11-2 overall and ranked No. 5 in the AP poll, is a projected No. 2 seed — and the No. 6 overall seed. If the tournament were to begin today, Lunardi has the Crimson Tide facing Norfolk State in the first round of the East Region at the Lenovo Center in Raleigh (N.C.).
A whopping 13 of 16 SEC schools were listed as projected tournament teams in Lunardi’s new outlook, with only LSU, South Carolina and Missouri not forecast to reach the 68-team field.
The Crimson Tide have won five straight games entering their conference opener against Oklahoma (13-0), set for a 5 p.m. tipoff Saturday. Alabama defeated South Dakota State, 105-82 on Sunday at Coleman Coliseum. Aden Holloway led Alabama with a career-high 26 points and freshman Labaron Philon had 21. Mark Sears added 20 points and Grant Nelson poured in 17.
Alabama vs. Oklahoma will be televised on SEC Network.
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