Alabama Basketball: Mar. 5 NCAA and SEC Tournaments Bracket Watch

Alabama Basketball: Check out the latest update on NCAA Tournament projections and who the Tide will play in the SEC Tournament.

One week from today Alabama Basketball begins SEC Tournament play. Two days later is Selection Sunday, revealing the Tide’s final NCAA Tournament seed and opening-round opponent. It is an exciting time to be an Alabama basketball fan.

In a recent post, we considered if the current Tide can match or exceed, the four best teams in Crimson Tide history. The SEC Tournament will end on Mar. 12, followed by the NCAA Tournament first round on Mar. 19. By the end of March, Crimson Tide fans will know if the 2020-21 Tide is one of the program’s best.

Many factors will influence the outcomes of future games. Talent, execution, luck and officiating are all important. So is seeding and what teams are drawn as the Crimson Tide moves through the brackets.

SEC Tournament

The Crimson Tide is the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament. Arkansas is No. 2. Several of the other slots will not be determined until the final regular-season games this weekend. Prior to those games, the SEC 3-seed is LSU and Florida is the 4-seed. Tennessee is the 5-seed but the Gators and the Vols play on Sunday. Missouri (who plays LSU Saturday) is the 6-seed.

Ole Miss and Mississippi State are the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds. Kentucky is No. 9 and Georgia is No. 10. South Carolina, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt finish out the 13 seeded teams.

Based on current standings, the Tide will open with the winner of Mississippi State and Kentucky. The standings will change, but so far, the Tide would also have Tennessee and Florida on its side of the bracket.

Alabama Basketball NCAA Tournament Projection

Going into the weekend the Crimson Tide remains a solid 2-seed. ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has the Tide as the top 2-seed, over Ohio State, Iowa and Houston. The Tide’s NCAA NET ranking is No. 7. Other SEC schools ranked by the NET are Arkansas, No. 11; Tennessee, No. 23; Florida, No. 27; LSU, No. 28 and Missouri, No. 39.

In other rankings, Ken Pomeroy has the Tide No. 8. Jeff Sagarin has the Tide No. 13. The ESPN BPI has the Crimson Tide at No. 15, but in the important SOR (Strength of Record) calculation the Tide is No. 5.

For Big Dance Bracketology, Bama Hammer relies on Joe Lunardi, Jerry Palm, and from the Bracketville site, Dave Ommen. Lunardi has the 2-seed Tide opening with Cleveland State, in the Illinois (1-seed) and Florida State (3-seed)  Region. Jerry Palm has the 2-seed Tide opening with Grand Canyon in the Michigan (1-seed) and Houston (3-seed) Region. Ommen has the 2-seed Tide opening with Texas State.

How unpredictable is college basketball? Baylor has lost once, about a week ago when they were soundly beaten by Kansas. Thursday night, the Jayhawks trailed now, 12-11, UTEP for 38 minutes before salvaging a late-game victory.