The Alabama Crimson Tide have won four straight games entering Christmas Week after defeating North Dakota and Kent State in nonconference play last week.
Those two wins has Alabama just outside the top five of this week’s USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, released Monday. The Crimson Tide (10-2 overall) moved up one spot to No. 6.
Nate Oats’ team ranks one spot below the unbeaten Florida Gators (12-0) and one spot ahead of the Kansas Jayhawks (9-2). The Tennessee Vols (11-0) held on to the top spot at No. 1, with Auburn (11-1) staying at No. 2 and Iowa State (10-1) at No. 3. Duke (10-2) moved up one spot to No. 4 with Florida rounding out the top five.
Alabama returns to action Sunday when they host South Dakota State (9-5) from the Summit League at Coleman Coliseum. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on ESPN+.
For the second straight week, the SEC had nine teams ranked in the Top 25. The Kentucky Wildcats (10-2) were No. 10, followed by the Oklahoma Sooners (12-0) at No. 11. Texas A&M (10-2) was ranked No. 13, Ole Miss (11-1) was No. 16, and Mississippi State (11-1) rose four spots to No. 19.
Alabama will welcome Oklahoma to Coleman Coliseum for the start of conference play on Jan. 4. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. CT. For now, the game is slated to be televised on SEC Network.
Full USA TODAY Sports Men’s Basketball Coaches Poll
| Rank | Team | Record | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tennessee | 11-0 | 764 (20) |
| 2 | Auburn | 11-1 | 746 (11) |
| 3 | Iowa State | 10-1 | 706 |
| 4 | Duke | 10-2 | 659 |
| 5 | Florida | 12-0 | 649 |
| 6 | Alabama | 10-2 | 620 |
| 7 | Kansas | 9-2 | 531 |
| 8 | Marquette | 11-2 | 529 |
| 9 | Oregon | 11-1 | 484 |
| 10 | Kentucky | 10-2 | 476 |
| 11 | Oklahoma | 12-0 | 412 |
| 12 | Houston | 8-3 | 406 |
| 13 | Texas A&M | 10-2 | 405 |
| 14 | UConn | 10-3 | 395 |
| 15 | Gonzaga | 9-3 | 327 |
| 16 | Ole Miss | 11-1 | 261 |
| 17 | Cincinnati | 10-1 | 252 |
| 18 | Michigan State | 10-2 | 233 |
| 19 | Mississippi State | 11-1 | 196 |
| 20 | San Diego State | 8-2 | 148 |
| 21 | UCLA | 10-2 | 128 |
| 22 | Illinois | 8-3 | 86 |
| 23 | Baylor | 7-3 | 83 |
| 24 | St. John’s | 10-2 | 82 |
| 25 | Purdue | 8-4 | 73 |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 21 Michigan; No. 22 Memphis; No. 24 Dayton;
Others Receiving Votes
Maryland 65; Michigan 52; Drake 51; Arkansas 51; Georgia 42; Clemson 40; Dayton 28; Memphis 25; Pittsburgh 22; Utah State 14; Texas Tech 9; Wisconsin 7; North Carolina 6; Missouri 6; West Virginia 5; Penn State 1;
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