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Alabama Basketball: Bubble Watch or Bubble Hopes or Bubble Dreams

By Ronald Evans

Feb 7, 2017; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) drives into Alabama Crimson Tide forward Donta Hall (35) in the quadruple overtime game at Colonial Life Arena. The Alabama Crimson Tide won 90-86. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 7, 2017; Columbia, SC, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks guard Sindarius Thornwell (0) drives into Alabama Crimson Tide forward Donta Hall (35) in the quadruple overtime game at Colonial Life Arena. The Alabama Crimson Tide won 90-86. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports /
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Alabama Basketball is chasing the Bubble. Are we Watching, or Hoping or Just Dreaming the Crimson Tide can find its way to the Big Dance?

Alabama Basketball fans approach late February, early March with an annual rite of trepidation. While fans of the top college basketball programs fret over their projected NCAA Tournament seeding, we Alabama fans agonize.

The source of the agony is too many years of dashed hopes and deadened dreams. Alabama Basketball has made the NCAA Tournament field once in the last nine seasons. To even suggest the Tide has a sliver of a chance invites the risk of ridicule.

But … it is late February and to quote the immortal Yogi Berra, “it’s Deja Vu all over again.” Should we dare suggest the Tide has a chance to make the Big Dance?

Much like college football recruiting, NCAA tournament bracketology has thrived in the digital age. Pundits that otherwise would not be gainfully employed are viewed as oracles. Which ones fans credit as experts have much to do with where they rate our teams.

This week Alabama fans are obligated to love Jerry Palm. http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/bracketology Palm has the Tide as an 11 seed, with a play-in game against Rhode Island. Palm lists the Tide in the precarious position as the last team in his last-four-in category.

Long-time ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi does not have Alabama in the field. Lunardi does not even list the Tide as one of the first eight teams out of the Big Dance.

One contrary Tide fan said no team is in until they bracketed by Lunardi. Another asked if Vince Lunardi of Green Bay Packer fame was Joe Lunardi’s Dad.

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Joe may well have, or had, a father named Vince. I don’t know. I do know that Vince Lunardi never coached the Green Bay Packers. And not that it matters, but I doubt Vince Lombardi knew a damn thing about basketball. It can get crazy on the edge of the bubble.

Alabama has remaining regular season games against Georgia, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Tennessee followed by one or more SEC tournament games. Can we say today that the Tide is a true bubble team? I suggest not. For the present, the prospects are tenuous.

Let’s think of it this way. From the distance, the Tide can hear the music as the band warms up for the Big Dance. But the Tide is a long way from stepping on that Dance Floor.

After Thursday night’s game against Georgia, we might hazard a less cryptic assessment. If you can’t wait until then, check in with Vince Lunardi’s son, Joe.

Next: Avery Has Help on the Way for Next Season

Following Thursday’s game against Georgia, Alabama Basketball travels to College Station to take on the Aggies.

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