An NCAA Tournament 4-seed is never an underdog. Despite the absence of the Crimson Tide's second-leading scorer, Alabama is favored against the Hofstra Pride. No Aden Holloway for the Big Dance's opening weekend, and likely beyond if Alabama advances, seriously damages the Crimson Tide's chances for success.
Potentially, from a Faulknerian perspective, as in 'the past is never dead', the Crimson Tide has another harbinger of doom. The Crimson Tide has never won a Midwest Region NCAA Tournament Game. In five previous Big Dance Midwest First Round contests, Alabama has lost every time.
Alabama Midwest Region First Round Biggest Disappointments
Dig deeper, and the history gets worse. Three of the six losses can be considered among the top five of Alabama's worst NCAA Tournament losses.
In March 1983, Alabama and Lamar were in a close game for a half. The Southland Conference Champion blew out the Crimson Tide in the second half to win 73-50. A broad response from Alabama fans was that Wimp Sanderson was not "a suitable successor to C.M. Newton."
The following March, Alabama was not a strong 9-seed, but the Tide was expected to have no problem with Illinois State. The game was an oddity with only "four free throws shot" and the Redbirds won 49-48. It was another loss that caused Alabama fans to doubt Wimp Sanderson.
The third stunning Midwest Region loss perhaps stung the most. Five-seed Alabama lost to 12-seed Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Bruce Pearl's team shot 63% from three in the first half and forced 19 Alabama turnovers for the game. The 2005 First Round, 83-73 loss was bad enough when it occurred. It felt worse to Alabama fans as time wore on. Bruce Pearl, all through his runs at Tennessee and Auburn, tried to make sure that Alabama fans never forgot his coaching win in the 2005 NCAA Tournament.
The Crimson Tide's other Midwest Region losses were to Indiana in 2003 and Creighton in 2012.
Alabama will not have NCAA Tournament history on its side Friday afternoon in Tampa. Is Alabama vulnerable to another Midwest Region First Round disappointment? History should have no bearing on Friday's game ... and the Crimson Tide should take care of business without Aden Holloway.