Alabama basketball shook off a two-game losing streak by beating Kentucky 96-83 on Saturday in Tuscaloosa, completing a two-game sweep of the Wildcats this season and getting the season back on track.
But was that enough to keep the Crimson Tide stagnant in the polls? Coming into the week, Alabama ranked No. 4 in the AP and Coaches polls, but they suffered a 12-point road loss at Missouri on Wednesday before bouncing back and taking down the Wildcats.
Alabama falls two spots in both AP and Coaches Polls
Alabama is ranked No. 6 in both the AP and Coaches Polls this week. The Top 10 in both polls is the exact same this week with Auburn, Duke, Florida, Houston, and Tennessee in the Top 5 in that order and Alabama just behind at No. 6.
This week provides two more ranked opportunities as Alabama's gauntlet to finish the season continues. On Tuesday, Alabama will host AP No. 24 Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa. On Saturday, the Crimson Tide travels to Knoxville to take on No. 5 Tennessee.
The human polls match the consensus ranking for the Tide across the board in computer rankings. KenPom, Bart Torvik, and the NET rankings all have Alabama at No. 6.
Alabama still a No. 1 seed in the majority of Bracket Projections
Joe Lunardi still has Alabama as a No. 1 seed in his latest bracketology, but he has dropped the Tide from the No. 2 overall seed to the No. 3 overall. Interestingly enough, the Crimson Tide remained the No. 2 overall seed in the aftermath of the Missouri loss but dropped to third after beating Kentucky. That had more to do with Duke's blowout win over Illinois on a neutral court than what Alabama did, but still.
Alabama is still a consensus 1-seed, but that standing is far from stable at this point. The margin for error will be razor-thin down the stretch. According to Bracket Matrix, Alabama is a 1-seed in 80 of the 87 bracket projections that they track.
Alabama's nine Quad 1 wins are tied for second most in the country behind Auburn. The Crimson Tide plays nothing but Quad 1 opponents in their final four regular season games and the vast majority of teams they could play in the SEC Tournament will classify as Quad 1 opponents on neutral floors.
It'll take two or possibly three more wins to clinch a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, though Alabama's floor is probably a 2-seed at this point.