What we know and don't know about the Alabama Basketball program being best

A recent radio interview has stirred up Alabama basketball fans. On Tide 100.9, Michael Schwimer made a simple but bold statement about the 2024-25 Alabama Crimson Tide. Based on the widely respected analytics model Schwimer and his associates use, Alabama's '24-25 roster is the "3rd best team in the last 20 years."

For those unfamiliar with Schwimer he is a major asset for Nate Oats and the Alabama basketball coaching staff. The only other college basketball team Schwimer has worked with is Duke. Bama Hammer profiled him a couple of months ago. Dennis Dodd took a deep dive into what Schwimer's group means for Alabama basketball, calling him a "secret weapon."

Even the best analytics tools cannot provide guarantees of winning games or championships. We cannot know that Schwimer is correct about the Crimson Tide. We can know there are solid reasons why Alabama is the betting favorite to win college basketball's next National Championship.

In late November, the Crimson Tide is scheduled to take on another top betting favorite, Houston in a new Las Vegas Tournament. As always there will be plenty of challenge in a Nate Oats' schedule.

A recent CBS Sports story by Isaac Trotter listed a "Tier One" of national title contenders to be 1) Alabama, 2) Kansas, 3) Auburn, 4) Houston, 5) Gonzaga, 6) UConn, and 7) Duke. Listed in a second tier were Iowa State, Tennessee, North Carolina, Baylor, and Arizona.

It is impossible to know how much value to place on preseason predictions. Still, it is reasonable to believe that the Crimson Tide has a roster worthy of lofty expectations.

Alabama Basketball NBA at the college level

What can be known is why Nate Oats is having so much success. Dennis Dodd explained the main reason why, " It's no secret at Alabama, they play an NBA style. Maybe the ultimate NBA style in college." Nate Oats acknowledges the style is a major reason top players join the Crimson Tide, "We've proven it is the best place to get ready for the NBA."

But playing a style and excelling at it are far different. Nate Oats does not waver. His confidence and determination spread to his players. Alabama lost games last season almost solely because of roster deficiencies. No roster is perfect, but Alabama will play the 2024-25 season with the most complete roster Nate Oats has ever coached. The college basketball world is on notice.