Alabama Basketball: What to look for in SEC Tournament

Despite Saturday’s loss to Texas A&M, Alabama Basketball will still be a heavy favorite to win the SEC Tournament. Based on the last 10 games of the SEC regular season, four teams other than the Crimson Tide are trending up the most.

Like the Alabama Crimson Tide, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt are 8-2 over the last 10 games. Unlike the Tide, the Aggies and the Commodores will arrive in Nashville on a winning streak. The Aggies have won their last two games. The Dores have won their last three.

Not far behind, over the last 10 SEC games, are the Missouri Tigers at 7-3. The Tigers are on a four-game winning streak. John Calipari’s Wildcats are also 7-3 and won their last game on Saturday against Arkansas.

The SEC Tournament seeding for the five teams is No. 1, Alabama Crimson Tide; No. 2, Texas A&M Aggies, No. 3, Kentucky Wildcats; No. 4, Missouri Tigers and No. 6, Vanderbilt Commodores.

Also in the top half of SEC Tournament seeds are Tennesee at No. 5 and Auburn at No. 7. Both teams are 4-6 over their last 10 games. Auburn beat Tennessee on Saturday.

Is there another, lower-seeded team with a chance to win the SEC Tournament? Many SEC basketball fans think of Arkansas (No. 10 seed) as the team with the next best chance to at least reach Sunday’s final game. But the Razorbacks have lost three straight, including a home loss to Kentucky on Saturday, by nine points.

Alabama Basketball and Winning the SEC Tournament

Alabama can benefit from some rest. On Saturday afternoon, Nate Oats said, the team will have Sunday off. It is expected work on Monday and Tuesday will be spent mostly working on skills, giving the players time for a full physical recoup.

The Crimson Tide does not play until Friday, against the winner of Thursday’s Mississippi State vs. Florida game. The Tide’s draw in a semi-final game would likely be either Tennessee or Missouri. Texas A&M, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Auburn and Arkansas are on the other side of the bracket.

The full SEC Tournament Bracket can be seen in the tweet below.

Winning an SEC Tournament is a big deal. Alabama Basketball has only one SEC Tournament Championship since 1991. It was in 2021. Winning another would be great for the Alabama program.

In terms of the NCAA Tournament, Alabama might need a win on Friday to lock down a 1-seed. After the loss to A&M and Kansas getting blown out by Texas on Saturday, the Crimson Tide still has a chance for the overall No. 1 seed in the Big Dance. Making it to the SEC Tournament Final might be enough to hang on as the overall top seed.