Quick: name the teams that have made the Sweet 16 or farther the last three seasons.
Hint: it's a small number.
Another hint: it's only one team.
That's right. Nate Oats and Alabama are the only team in the country to make the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three years. Buoyed by Labaron Philon's surprising return for his sophomore season, Oats and the Crimson Tide should be prime contenders to do it for a fourth straight year - and a fifth time in six years.
CBS Sports' Matt Norlander released his preseason rankings on Thursday, and he's slightly higher on the Crimson Tide than AP voters. Philon is a big reason why.
Norlander has Alabama positioned at No. 13, which is the third-best ranking for an SEC team behind only Kentucky (No. 3) and Florida (No. 11).
Norlander is a big fan of Philon and Alabama's backcourt depth, with Aden Holloway and a healthy Latrell Wrightsell arguably giving the Tide the nation's best guard trio. Philon's return to Tuscaloosa gave Alabama a significant lift.
"I'd probably have the Tide 12-14 spots lower if Philon wasn't on the roster," Norlander writes.
Labaron Philon could lead Alabama to another deep run in March
Alabama enters this season with considerably less hype than a year ago. The Crimson Tide was preseason No. 2 last year and had National Championship aspirations. The team fell short of those lofty goals, but still advanced to the Elite Eight for just the third time in program history.
Oats has taken the program to new heights, and while Alabama may not have the same expectations as last year, the ultimate goal is unchanged. Oats wants to lead the Tide to winning the whole thing. He's not satisfied with just getting to the Final Four two seasons ago; he knows he can put together a team that can win it all.
Philon figures to be one of the top guards in the country as a sophomore. He's looked awesome in both preseason exhibitions, and with a plethora of shooters surrounding him, Philon should get to the rim at will. He is a realistic candidate for National Player of the Year.
If Philon ascends to that level, he can take this team a long way. There are some legitimate questions about defense in the front court, which could be the Tide's Achilles Heel. But the exhibitions have shown Oats is doing what he can to cover for that, and perhaps Aiden Sherrell or Noah Williamson emerges as a legitimate rim-protector this season.
Regardless, Oats has elevated the program to a point that making the second weekend of the dance - despite major roster turnover - is just the baseline expectation.