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Published Mar 17, 2025
Breaking down Alabama's path to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament
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Tony Tsoukalas  •  TideIllustrated
Managing Editor
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Alabama basketball will open the Big Dance in the home of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Crimson Tide received the No. 2 seed in the East Regional of the NCAA Tournament and will begin its run to the Final Four inside Cleveland’s Rocket Arena.

Alabama will face off against No. 15 seed Robert Morris on Friday at 11:40 a.m. CT. If the Tide advances from that game, it will move on to the second round of the tournament on Sunday where it will face either No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s or No. 10 seed Vanderbilt.

The East region also features No. 1 seed Duke, No. 3 Wisconsin, No. 4 seed Arizona, No. 5 seed Oregon, No. 8 seed Mississippi State, No. 9 seed Baylor, No. 11 seed VCU, No. 12 seed Liberty, No. 13 seed Akron, No. 14 seed Montana, and No. 16 seeds American and Mount St. Mary’s.

Alabama could face those teams if it advances to the third and fourth rounds of the East regional, which will take place in Newark, New Jersey from March 27-30. For now, the Tide is focused on making it out of Cleveland still wearing its dancing shoes.

“I just explained to these guys after the selection show revealed the bracket that we’re in a 4-team tournament right now,” Alabama head coach Nate Oats said during a Sunday Zoom call with reporters. “That’s all we care about, and really, all I need those guys focused on is Robert Morris to start. And then we will, as a staff, get ready for Vanderbilt and Saint Mary’s.”

Here’s a breakdown of Alabama’s path to the second weekend of the tournament.

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