Alabama Basketball: Less than two weeks until Selection Sunday, check out the latest Crimson Tide NCAA Bracket Watch.
Alabama Basketball is rolling toward a top seed in the NCAA Tournament. The mid-week loss to Arkansas did little to dim the Crimson Tide’s chances for a 2-seed. Nate Oats’ team is probably two wins away from locking down a 2-seed on Selection Sunday, Mar. 14.
With two more regular-season games against Auburn on Tuesday and Georgia on Saturday, the Crimson Tide is the 1-seed in the SEC Tournament Bracket. Winning the SEC Tournament is important to the Crimson Tide but it is but a prelude to the Big Dance.
The Big Ten is the strongest college basketball conference this season. As a result, the B1G’s top teams will not lose much seed standing when losing to each other. Michigan, Illinois, Iowa and Ohio State are close to being locked into a top ten seed. The SEC, considered by most college basketball experts as the third-best conference this season, does not have the same advantage.
Because of the difference in perceived status, Alabama Basketball, while in a strong position as an NCAA 2-seed, could drop to a 3-seed with losses in its closing regular-season games and a quick exit from the SEC Tournament.
Alabama Basketball NCAA Bracket Update Mar. 1
Alabama Crimson Tide is No. 7. Other top SEC teams are Arkansas No. 19, Tennessee No. 22, Florida No. 26 and LSU No. 31. Missouri has dropped to No. 47.
Ken Pomeroy
Alabama Basketball is ranked No. 8 in this data sourced used by the NCAA Selection Committee.
Though Sagarin’s ratings don’t get the attention they once did, they remain important as another data source used by the NCAA Selection Committee. In Sagarin’s latest, the Crimson Tide is No. 13. Arkansas is not far behind at No. 17.
The secretive algorithm used by ESPN is also considered by the Selection Committee. Like Jeff Sagarin’s data, it has been consistent in not valuing the Crimson Tide as high as other sources. In the BPI, the Crimson Tide is No. 14. The Tennessee Vols are rated higher at No. 12. In the important Strength of Record (SOR) rank calculation by ESPN, the Crimson Tide is No. 6.
NCAA Bracketologists
- Joe Lunardi has the Crimson Tide as a 2-seed
- Jerry Palm has the Tide a 2-seed and opening the NCAA Tournament with Grand Canyon
- Bracketville has the Crimson Tide as a 2-seed. The track record of this site is outstanding, frequently out-picking Lunardi and Palm.
Other than Gonzaga, Michigan and Baylor, no team has a locked-down seed position. Technically that trio of teams does not either, but there is almost no chance any of the three will not finish as a 1-seed.
In the strangest college basketball season ever, some Blue Bloods will not make the Big Dance. Without winning a conference tournament Kentucky, Syracuse and Michigan State are unlikely to be in the Tournament. The Spartans may sneak in because of the B1G’s overall strength, and Cuse has a small chance but the Wildcats will not be an at-large team.