Alabama Basketball: Crimson Tide Bracketology as regular season ends

The SEC Tournament begins on Wednesday. Four days later is Selection Sunday. Even after the disappointing loss to Texas A&M, the Crimson Tide is in position for a strong seed in the Big Dance.

The SEC has only one bubble team. It is the Florida Gators. Texas A&M, Mississippi State and  South Carolina are trying to reach bubble territory. To do so, they would likely have to win on Saturday and later reach the SEC Tournament championship game.

The one-sided loss to the Aggies did minor damage to the Crimson Tide. Rather than a solid 5-seed and possible 4-seed, the Crimson Tide is clinging to 5-seed status.

The Tide’s resume is still one of the best in college basketball. Until several years ago, the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee used a team’s performance in its last 10 games as a measurement. With recent performance no longer a factor, the Tide’s wins over Gonzaga, Houston, Tennessee, Baylor and LSU will prevent it from a big drop in seeding.

Bracketology Predictions Alabama Basketball and other SEC Teams

Sources of predictions: Joe Lunardi, Jerry Palm, Eric Prisbell and the Bracket Matrix.

• Auburn Tigers – The Tigers are a 1-seed from all four sources. They are the lowest 1-seed as calculated by Prisbell and the Bracket Matrix.
• Kentucky Wildcats – All the sources have the Cats as a 2-seed.
• Tennessee Vols – There was no change for the Vols as a 3-seed, except by Palm who has Tenessee as a 4-seed.
• Arkansas Razorbacks – Eric Musselman was clear this week about being no fan of the NCAA NET rankings. He has little to complain about with the Hogs as a 4-seed by three of the Bracketologists and a 5-seed by Lunardi.
• Alabama Crimson Tide – Jerry Palm lowered the Crimson Tide to a 5-seed. The others have the Tide as a 5-seed, though lower on the S-curve.
• LSU Bengal Tigers – Alabama’s Saturday morning opponent is a 7-seed by Jerry Palm and a 6-seed from the other three sources.
• Florida Gators – Only Jerry Palm has Florida in the field as an 11-seed. Joe Lunardi has them in his ‘next four out’ group. A home win over Kentucky on Saturday and a win in the SEC Tournament might be all the Gators need to sneak into the Big Dance field.

Where and who will Alabama Basketball play?

It is about time to consider who the Crimson Tide might play and where. Jerry Palm has the Tide’s opening game in Portland, against North Texas. Palm has the Tide with a second game opponent from the winner of UCLA vs. New Mexico State.

Joe Lunardi also has Alabama playing in Portland, but against South Dakota State. According to Lunardi, the Tide would play the winner of UCLA vs. Towson, in its second game.

If the Portland destination is correct, the Crimson Tide would have a path to its third NCAA Tournament game versus No. 1 Gonzaga.