In one week, the Alabama basketball season begins for real. Though it has already gotten pretty darn real once with the Alabama vs. Auburn 'Feud' exhibition game. As always, Nate Oats has built challenge into the preconference schedule. In addition to the Players Era Tournament, Alabama will play Seton Hall, Miami, Houston, St. John's, and Iowa.
Alabama will not begin the season ranked among the SEC's top four teams. Alabama was ranked No. 5 in the SEC preseason media poll. The top four were Florida, Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee. The Gators' returning players make Florida a legit national title contender. Texas, Arkansas, and Tennessee have rosters loaded with new talent. Still, not every source rates Alabama as the SEC's fifth-best team.
Arguably, Nate Oats has brought in more new talent than any other SEC team. Aaron Torres has tabbed the Crimson Tide as "college basketball's most underrated team." Evan Miyakawa ranks the Crimson Tide as the SEC's second-best team. Ken Pomeroy does too, with Alabama ranked No. 9 nationally.
Other media sources are even more bearish about the Crimson Tide. CBS Sports' Brad Crawford labelled Alabama "overrated" and the SEC's eighth-best team. The Field of 68 also ranks Alabama the SEC's No. 8 team.
Alabama's roster turnover fuels the most doubts. Nine new players will take time for Nate Oats, his staff, and the players to sort out. Potentially, the Crimson Tide has never before had a roster so deep with quality players. Alabama achieved Oats' offseason goal of getting bigger and stronger. Tenacious defenders were added in Jaxson Richardson and Tarris Bouie. Freshmen Cole Cloer and Qayden Samuels have shown their offensive firepower in the Tide's exhibition games.
What is Alabama's Ceiling?
Miyakawa's rating of the Crimson Tide includes a ceiling and floor projection. Consistent with his rating of Alabama as the SEC's second-best team, his Crimson Tide ceiling is No. 3, and the floor is No. 44. Texas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Arkansas are close behind Alabama, with ceilings in the 5-7 range, but all of their floors are in the 60s.
Notable in the KPom model is Alabama's Defensive Efficiency projection of No. 28. The Crimson Tide finished last season rated No. 61 in Defensive Efficiency.
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