Alabama Basketball: Big Dance Bracketology Feb. 6

Alabama basketball fans cannot officially start singing ‘We be dancin’ yet. Since the late 1970s, one of the two other names for the NCAA Basketball Tournament has been the ‘Big Dance.’ It goes back to a comment from the then-Marquette, head coach, Al McGuire. McGuire, one the game’s most stylish dressers of the era was talking about wearing his royal blue blazer to the big dance.

Though not as popular as calling the tournament March Madness, the Big Dance name lives on.

Alabama Crimson Tide fans know the Crimson Tide will be dancing this season. The only question is where Nate Oats’ team will finish in the tournament seeding.

February is far enough into the season for NCAA Tournament bracket projections to be meaningful. Listed below, compliments of the latest Bracketology by Jerry Palm is where SEC teams stand in the Big Dance pecking order.

• Alabama Crimson Tide; 1-seed and No. 2 seed overall (Kansas is No. 1)
• Tennessee Volunteers; 2-seed
• Missouri Tigers; 6-seed
• Auburn Tigers; 9-seed
• Kentucky Wildcats; 10-seed
• Arkansas Razorbacks; 11-seed, with a play-in game in Dayton, OH
• Other sources, but not Jerry Palm, have the Texas A&M Aggies and the Florida Gators as ‘First Four Out’ teams. In the end, the SEC is not expected to get more than seven teams and perhaps only six.

Alabama Basketball as a 1-seed

Alabama fans can anticipate that if the Crimson Tide keeps a 1-seed, it will begin tournament play in Birmingham, AL. In Palm’s current, projected bracket, Auburn is slated for Birmingham as well, but teams from the same conference are not scheduled to have first or second-round matchups.

Pam’s bracket projection will likely be updated more than 30 times before reaching his final pre-Selection Sunday bracket. Much will change between now and then.

It is interesting to consider the Crimson Tide’s path if the final official NCAA Tournament bracket were to match Palm’s current projection.

• Thursday, Mar. 16 – Legacy Arena; Alabama vs. winner of Tuesday, Mar. 14 game between Morehead State and Radford
• Saturday, Mar. 18 – Legacy Arena; Alabama vs. winner of Pittsburgh vs. Memphis

The Crimson Tide’s Sweet 16 location would be Kansas City, MO in the T-Mobile Center. Three other top teams in the projected Midwest bracket are Kansas State, Xavier and Baylor.

New Bracketology updates will soon start coming out daily. Bama Hammer will frequently keep Alabama basketball fans informed of the latest projections.