Alabama Basketball: Crimson Tide has the respect of UCLA and others

Alabama Basketball: UCLA head coach Mick Cronin joins the parade of basketball experts praising the Crimson Tide.

UCLA Head Coach, Mick Cronin knows basketball and is savvy enough to praise Alabama Basketball, even if he didn’t believe it. In his 18 seasons as a college basketball head coach, Cronin’s teams have been in plenty of big games. In his 13-season stint with the Cincinnati Bearcats, his last nine teams went to the NCAA Tournament.

Speaking to Jim Rome on Wednesday, Cronin talked about the Crimson Tide in glowing terms. He said Nate Oats Alabama basketball team is probably the hardest to defend in the country.

"Gonzaga does it differently, but I’d say they’re 1-2 as far as challenging to stop."

He went on to say a key for UCLA to slow the Tide, is not to allow back-to-back made threes.

"They’re going to make some, but six points in a 20-25 second span…. if you’re down 2, now you’re down 8, it just changes the game … The only way you’re going to keep them off a run is don’t let them hit back-to-back threes."

Cronin explained that usually, great shooting teams do not rebound well, and it “scares” him that does not define the Crimson Tide.

"… this Alabama team, they shoot it great but they’re so athletic they go offensive rebound as well.It’s going to take everything we got to make sure we don’t give up 90."

Profuse praise of opponents is standard fare. There is zero chance Mick Cronin is scared by the Crimson Tide. Even without fear, his words of admiration for Nate Oats’ team are probably sincere. After all, Cronin is saying what many other college basketball experts are saying about the Crimson Tide.

Most published odds for the game have the Tide a five to seven-point favorite. The ESPN BPI gives the Tide a 72.7 percent chance of winning over UCLA. ESPN Staff Writer, Myron Medcalf reseeded the 16 remaining teams. He has the Crimson Tide at No. 4, behind Michigan, Baylor and Gonzaga. He slotted UCLA at No. 15.

Si.com asked a panel of eight writers for predictions on the 16 teams. Five of the eight predicted the Tide will advance to the Final Four. Instead of Alabama Basketball, two picked Michigan and one picked Florida State.

All the love being garnered by the Crimson Tide is dizzying. On Twitter, a few not Tide fans, have admitted, as much as they hate Alabama Football, they are fond of Nate Oats’ team.

The bonanza of Crimson Tide enthusiasm will hopefully not be rat poison to Alabama basketball players. Two potentially tough games are a long bridge to a Final Four.

After Creighton, Gonzaga, Michigan and Florida State play on Sunday, the Tide gets its chance to advance to the Elite Eight. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:15 PM CST in Hinkle Fieldhouse.