Despite landing a Top 10 high school recruiting class and landing impactful players in the Transfer Portal, along with retaining key pieces like Amari Allen, Aden Holloway, and London Jemison, Alabama basketball enters the 2026-27 season flying under the radar a bit.
Alabama was picked to finish 5th in the SEC, a number that has been kind to them in the past. On Monday, they were ranked 20th in the preseason AP Poll.
Most experts don't see the Crimson Tide as a legitimate contender nationally or in the SEC this season. That might be a big mistake.
Around the program, there's a quiet confidence that this roster is deep, versatile, and fully capable of getting back to the Final Four for the second time in program history.
247Sports' Kyle Tucker asked Oats a simple question in a recent interview he conducted with the Alabama head coach.
Are teams sleeping on Alabama?
"I feel like they could be," Oats said.
Nate Oats believes Alabama fixed its biggest issues from last season
Part of the confidence comes from Oats' belief in his offensive system and its ability to put up a lot of points, nearly regardless of the pieces. It doesn't hurt when you have Allen and Holloway making up one of the best backcourts in the country, either.
Oats came into the offseason knowing they had to get better with defense and rebounding. He thinks they accomplished that, adding three bigs from the Transfer Portal with Brandon Garrison (Kentucky), Drew Fielder (Boise State), and Jamarion Davis-Fleming (Mississippi State).
Alabama also got bigger and longer on the wing. Outside of Holloway and true freshman Anderson Diaz, everyone is 6-foot-5 or taller.
Alabama is going to score. They've led the nation in scoring three years in a row and ranked inside the Top 5 in offensive efficiency in each of those seasons. What determines this team's ceiling will be how they defend and clear the glass.
"I feel like the areas we needed to improve, we improved," Oats said. ...“I love our roster. I think we have a chance to compete with the best teams in the country with this roster.”
Oats has led Alabama to unprecedented success during his seven seasons in Tuscaloosa. That includes five trips to the Sweet 16, something the program has accomplished in each of the last four seasons; two trips to the Elite Eight for a program that had only ever gotten there once before; and the first Final Four in program history in 2024.
But Oats has always had his goal set higher than that. He wasn't content with just getting to the Final Four once. He's not content with just getting back, either. He strongly believes he can win a national title at Alabama. That's why he's still here, even though there have been other opportunities that have been available to him.
And while Alabama has flown under the radar this offseason, this could quietly be one of Oats' best rosters from top to bottom. It's balanced and deep, capable of combating the styles of any team they may come up against.
Don't be surprised if, when the dust settles, Alabama is one of the last few teams remaining in March/April.
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