Alabama Basketball: Difficult schedule for Crimson Tide
Coach Nate Oats did not give his team an easy path this year, as Alabama basketball will not be lacking in difficult tests. There will be plenty of opportunities for the Tide to notch quality non-conference wins. Come March, the tournament selection committee should consider Alabama’s schedule and assess the team favorably, just as it did last year.
In its third game, Alabama basketball takes on Liberty University. Liberty has been an Atlantic Sun power for the past four years, winning at least 22 games each year and making two NCAA tournament appearances. The Flames return point guard Darius McGhee, who ranked second in the NCAA with 24.6 points per game last season, as well as a handful of solid role players.
On Thanksgiving Day, the Crimson Tide will take on Tom Izzo’s Michigan State Spartans in the Phil Knight Invitational. If it wins that game, Alabama will play the winner of UCONN and no. 21 Oregon. If it advances to the championship round of the tournament, it could potentially play no. 1 North Carolina or no. 16 Villanova.
Coming out of the PKI, Alabama hosts South Dakota State for the second consecutive year. The Jackrabbits went 30-5 (18-0 Summit) last season, but lost to the Tide 104-88. They lose their top two players in Baylor Scheierman and Douglas Wilson, but return virtually everyone else.
Alabama basketball then travels to Houston for a tough road game. The Cougars are no. 3 in the preseason AP Poll, and will provide a stiff challenge for a meshing Bama team. The Crimson Tide beat Houston 83-82 in Tuscaloosa last season.
Alabama will host Penny Hardaway’s retooled Memphis team. The Tigers beat Alabama 92-78 in Memphis last year.
To cap off this extremely difficult stretch, Nate Oats’ team will play the preseason no. 2 Gonzaga Bulldogs in a neutral site game in Birmingham. Alabama bested the Zags 91-82 in Seattle last season.
Alabama will play Oklahoma in a late January non-conference game in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge. In conference play, Bama will face no. 4 Kentucky, no. 10 Arkansas (twice), no. 11 Tennessee, and no. 15 Auburn.
Next. Bama tops SIU in exhibition. dark
Wins won’t come easy for this Crimson Tide team, but it is more than capable of competing with anybody in the country.