Welcome to Tournament Tuesday, a weekly look at where Alabama basketball stands in the NCAA tournament picture. Each week, Tide Illustrated will break down the Crimson Tide’s resume while looking at where it is projected in this year’s 68-team bracket.
Alabama has positioned itself as the team with the inside track in the race for the SEC regular season title, currently on a six-game win streak with three victories in that stretch coming over Quad 1 opponents. Last week, the Crimson Tide survived a test from a talented Arkansas group on the road, pulling out an 85-81 win over the Razorbacks.
Now, the most highly anticipated of Alabama’s regular season is upon us.
After Alabama travels to Austin, Texas, on Tuesday night to face Texas in the first-ever hardwood meeting between the Crimson Tide and Longhorns since Texas joined the SEC this past summer, Alabama will return home to host their arch-rival, No. 1 Auburn, the only team ranked above them in the AP poll.
Let’s take a closer look at Alabama’s résumé and its position in the NCAA Tournament landscape.
Alabama's resume
Record: 20-3, 9-1 SEC
Associated Press rank: 2
Net rank: 6
RPI: 2
SOS: 2
KenPom: 6
Quadrant records
Quad 1: 7-3
Quad 2: 7-0
Quad 3: 4-0
Quad 4: 2-0
Bracketology
ESPN: Joe Lunardi has Alabama as a No. 1 seed against No. 16 seed Southern in the Lexington regional. The winner of that game would go on to play the winner of No. 8 seed Saint Mary’s against No. 9 seed New Mexico.
CBS: has Alabama as a No. 1 seed against No. 16 seed Southern in the Lexington regional. The winner of that game would go on to play the winner of No. 8 seed Uconn against No. 9 seed Utah State.
Bracket Matrix: The Bracket Matrix, which averages projections from more than 80 analysts and sites, currently projects Alabama as the No. 3 overall seed and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
This week's games
No. 2 Alabama @ Texas (Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.)
Texas record: 15-9, 4-7 SEC
NET: 31 (Quad 1 game)
What to know: Could Alabama be on upset alert in its first SEC matchup with Texas? Vegas has Alabama as an around 7-point favorite, but Texas has been a challenging team in SEC play. The Longhorns, who are looking for another resume-bolstering win, have beaten both top-25-ranked Missouri and rival Texas A&M this season and they gave Auburn and Tennessee tough battles at the Moody Center earlier in conference play. Recent losses to Arkansas and Vanderbilt and the injury bug have put Texas on the ropes.
The player to watch for Texas is five-star freshman Tre Johnson, who will be matched up with Alabama’s deep backcourt. While he scored just 15 points against Vanderbilt this past weekend, he's had standout performances this season, including 26 points against Tennessee and 30 against Texas A&M. The Longhorns will also get a boost from Tramon Mark, who missed their last game against Vanderbilt due to a shoulder injury.
No. 2 Alabama vs No. 1 Auburn (Saturday at 3:00 p.m.)
Auburn record: 21-2, 9-7 SEC
NET: 1 (Quad 1 game)
What to know: You can't script it better than this. The eyes of America will turn to Tuscaloosa on Saturday afternoon as Coleman Coliseum hosts the first-ever No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup in SEC basketball history.
For those with a strong memory, last year's Iron Bowl of basketball in Tuscaloosa was a special night. Just ahead of tip-off, five-star wide receiver prospect Ryan Williams committed to play for the Alabama football team, while during the game, former Crimson Tide basketball player Rylan Griffin knocked down five three-pointers against the Tigers. Mark Sears added 22 points, helping Alabama secure a 79-75 win. Auburn would get revenge a few weeks later, trouncing Alabama 99-81 on the Plains.
Some players from last year's matchups are back, like Sears for Alabama and Auburn big man Johni Broome. Both teams also feature exciting freshman guards in Labaron Philon for Alabama and Tahaad Pettiford for Auburn. Aden Holloway will be looking for revenge against his former team, as the former Auburn guard crossed enemy lines and joined the Crimson Tide this past offseason after a challenging freshman season with the Tigers.
If there's one pregame prediction that can be made with confidence, it's that Saturday in Tuscaloosa will be a special day for the sport of college basketball.
Race for the SEC Title
No. 1 Auburn Tigers 21-2 (9-1 SEC)
No. 2 Alabama Tigers 20-3 (9-1 SEC)
No. 3 Florida Gators 20-3 (7-3 SEC)
No. 4 Texas A&M Aggies 18-5 (7-3 SEC)
No. 5 Tennessee Volunteers 20-4 (7-4 SEC)
No. 6 Ole Miss Rebels 18-6 (7-4 SEC)
No. 7 Missouri Tigers 17-6 (6-4 SEC)
No. 8 Mississippi State Bulldogs 17-6 (5-5 SEC)
No. 9 Vanderbilt Commodores 17-6 (5-5 SEC)
No. 10 Kentucky Wildcats 16-7 (5-5 SEC)
No. 11 Georgia Bulldogs 16-8 (4-7 SEC)
No. 12 Texas Longhorns 15-9 (4-7 SEC)
No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners 16-7 (3-7 SEC)
No. 14 Arkansas Razorbacks 16-7 (3-7 SEC)
No. 15 LSU Tigers 12-11 (1-9 SEC)
No. 16 South Carolina Gamecocks 10-13 (0-10 SEC)
After losing to Florida on Saturday, Auburn no longer possesses the No. 1 spot in the SEC. They now share a 9-1 record with Alabama, though they hold the tiebreaker. If Auburn and Alabama win their midweek games, Saturday night will feature a showdown for possession of first place.
Aside from the Crimson Tide, the next hottest SEC team would be Texas A&M. The Aggies won back-to-back tight road games last against South Carolina and Missouri, and if it weren't for a one-point loss to Texas, they’d be on a six-game win streak.
Speaking of Missouri, the Tigers have been on a skid over their last few games, dropping three of the previous five. They lost two very close games this past week, four points to Tennessee and three points to Texas A&M, which has hurt their position in the standings and chances at the SEC title.
