Alabama Basketball: Tennessee has what the Crimson Tide doesn’t

Alabama Basketball travels to Knoxville Saturday and the Vols program is something the Crimson Tide program is not.

Alabama Basketball is not getting much attention as Alabama Crimson Tide fans focus on another college football National Championship. Following both sports at the same time is not difficult. Though the payback for fan attention is far different from the two programs.

Alabama Football is a perennial elite in college football. Alabama Basketball is far from elite. It is not unfair to call the basketball Crimson Tide a ‘wanna-be.’ The Crimson Tide has a solid basketball history. It is No. 2 on the all-time list for SEC wins. Though not recent, the Crimson Tide has had NCAA Tournament success. The flip side is except for two seasons, the Crimson Tide has been mostly ‘ho-hum’ since Wimp Sanderson stepped down after the 1991-92 season. Since Mark Gottfried’s team made it to the Elite Eight in 2004, the Crimson Tide has made four NCAA Tournament appearances, losing in the first round once and in the second round the other three times.

Every new coach since Gottfried was predicted to change that mediocre NCAA record. Anthony Grant and Avery Johnson could not. Nate Oats has not had enough time. In his second season, Oats has filled the roster with deep talent. Expectations ran high in the preseason. The excitement has faded since.

Causing the most concern is not what the 6-3 Crimson Tide has done. It is what lies ahead. Ken Pomeroy is a dependable source for ranking college basketball teams. He has the Crimson Tide ranked No. 45. That is his fifth-highest ranking for an SEC team. The Tide’s losses are not bad. Clemson is No. 18; Stanford is No. 36 and Western Kentucky is No. 82. Two of the six wins are over Top 75 teams; Ole Miss at No. 46 and Providence at No. 59.

The Tide has the potential to improve. There are many opportunities for good wins in January. Five of the nine January games are against teams ranked higher than the Crimson Tide. Based on the current ranking, the biggest challenges will be versus No. 6 Tennesse; No. 21 Florida; No. 24 LSU and No. 26 Arkansas. Tennessee is the next game, and like the LSU game, is on the road. In addition, the Tide must play the No. 52 Kentucky Wildcats twice. Cal’s team could burst out of its early slump any time. On paper, the easiest January games are at No. 42 Oklahoma; at No. 68 Auburn and No. 71 Mississippi State.

There is little reason to doubt the Tide will take some lumps in January. The first one is most likely Saturday night in Knoxville. The Vols are a ‘basketball school’ again. Rick Barnes has done well in Knoxville and this could be his best team. Earlier this week, the Vols traveled to face an undefeated and highly ranked team. The Vols won by 20 and held the Missouri Tigers to just 53 points.

The Crimson Tide played aggressive and disciplined defense against Ole Miss. The effort was needed to contest size and strength mismatches near the basket. The two Ole Miss ‘bigs’ scored 35 points and got seven offensive rebounds anyway. Tennessee is bigger and stronger.

What the Vols have in basketball is being a legit contender. Rick Barnes’ team is a serious threat to make an Elite Eight. Getting that far makes a team a Final Four contender. Alabama Basketball wants to become a contender and earn a reputation as a ‘basketball school.’ Saturday in Knoxville will be a good measurement.