There are so many games in a college basketball season, it is rare for one game to make an extraordinary difference. The situation changes come post-season tournament time, but until then, one game, win or lose, is just one game. In this young season, Alabama Basketball may be the exception. Experts expected the Alabama Crimson Tide to be good this season. They also expected Nate Oats' team would take some serious lumps in November and December.
Those expectations changed dramatically on Saturday afternoon in the Big Apple. The Tide's 103-96 win over St. John's surprised the college basketball world and vaulted Alabama into consideration of becoming the SEC's best team. Two examples are the rankings provided by Jon Rothstein and Jeff Goodman. On Sunday, Rothstein ranked the Crimson Tide No. 3 nationally, behind Purdue and Houston. On Monday, Goodman agreed with a No. 3 ranking for the Crimson Tide.
Before Saturday, most college basketball experts predicted that Purdue would visit Tuscaloosa this Thursday and be too much for the Crimson Tide. The Crimson Tide's win over St. John's has changed those opinions. ESPN now gives Alabama a 60.2% probability of winning. Massey Ratings predicts a win probability of 67% with an 82-77 score. Ken Pomeroy also flipped a prediction to an Alabama win. Warren Nolan has the Crimson Tide winning a close game over the Boilermakers, 81-79.
One Bold Alabama Basketball Regular Season Prediction
Nolan has game predictions for the entire Alabama Crimson Tide regular season. He projects that Alabama will go 15-3 in the SEC and 27-3 overall. Nolan's bold projection has Nate Oats' team beating every one of the tough out-of-conference teams that previously most experts predicted would lead to two, three, or more Alabama losses. What a difference the St. John's game has made.
It is, of course, way too early to presume anything for any team. Nate Oats may well have his best-ever roster, one that can become a legitimate national title contender. The long road ahead will include some disappointing results, but it could also lead to a special March ... and April.