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Alabama Basketball: March 10th NCAA Bracket Watch

By Ronald Evans

NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 10: Avery Johnson the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide gives instructions to his team in the game against the Ole Miss Rebels during the second round of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 10, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TN - MARCH 10: Avery Johnson the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide gives instructions to his team in the game against the Ole Miss Rebels during the second round of the SEC Basketball Tournament at Bridgestone Arena on March 10, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /
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Check out where Alabama basketball stands in projected NCAA Brackets after the Auburn win, plus the NCAA chances for other SEC teams.

Alabama basketball has fully recovered from the five-game collapse that ended the regular season. As Avery Johnson kept saying before play began in St. Louis, “it’s a new season.” Except for the Donta Hall injury against Auburn, the new season has been kind to the Tide.

Over the past 25 seasons, no team below four wins over .500 has made the NCAA Tournament. That is no longer an issue for the Tide. A loss to Kentucky would take Alabama basketball to 19-15 and be no Bubble-buster.

In fact, the Tide is no longer a Bubble team. The result against the Cats will only affect the Tide’s NCAA seeding. With seven Quadrant 1 wins and a Strength of Schedule now at No. 3, the Tide’s resume can withstand another loss.

A closer look at current bracket projections

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has eight SEC teams in the NCAA field.

  • No. 3 Seed – Auburn
  • No. 3 Seed – Tennessee
  • No. 5 Seed – Kentucky
  • No. 6 Seed – Florida
  • No. 6 Seed – Arkansas
  • No. 7 Seed – Texas A&M
  • No. 8 Seed – Missouri
  • No. 9 Seed – Alabama

Jerry Palm has eight SEC teams in the NCAA field.

  • No. 3 Seed – Tennessee
  • No. 4 Seed – Auburn
  • No. 5 Seed – Kentucky
  • No. 6 Seed – Arkansas
  • No. 6 Seed – Florida
  • No. 7 Seed – Texas A&M
  • No. 8 Seed – Missouri
  • No. 11 Seed – Alabama

Teamrankings.com has the Tide a No. 10 seed after the Auburn win. The projected probability for the Tide making the NCAA Tournament field is 83.5 percent with a loss to Kentucky.

SEC  teams and RPI

The list below is the current RPI for each SEC team in the NCAA Tournament conversation, from live-rpi.com.

  • Tennessee – 8
  • Auburn – 15
  • Kentucky – 18
  • Arkansas – 26
  • Texas A&M – 29
  • Alabama – 36
  • Missouri – 45
  • Florida – 46

The probable loss of Hall for the Kentucky game puts Alabama basketball at a big disadvantage. The Cats owned the glass against the Tide in Lexington. Without Hall’s defense and rebounding, other Tide players will have to excel. However, for the first time in a few weeks, the Tide is not facing a must-win game. They can play relatively stress-free about the outcome.

Still, the young Tide team will want to continue its roll and play for an SEC Tournament championship on Sunday. If Hall could play, and maybe even without him, the game would be a tight battle.

Next: Five redshirt freshmen who could step up in '18

The NCAA Selection show is at 5 PM CST on Sunday. In a different format this season, the entire field will be revealed alphabetically early in the show.

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