After many seasons of success under Nate Oats, Alabama basketball finally made it to the Final Four last season. The Crimson Tide may be even better this season and enter as one of the favorites to win it all. Oats once again has stacked his roster with talent and will be ready to show the country this fall.
Alabama Basketball Preview: Is This The Crimson Tide’s Year?
The Roster
As always, Alabama has an absolutely loaded roster. The Tide keeps two of its best players from last year; Grant Nelson and Mark Sears. As one of the best players in the country, Sears looks to expand his role and possibly be a National Player of the Year candidate this season. Nelson will look to grow in his role and expand on his 12 points per game from last season.
However, the strength of the team comes from its transfer portal class, which is arguably the best in the country. The class is headlined by Rutgers center, Cliff Omoruyi. His combination of athleticism, defense, and scoring made Omoruyi one of the most coveted transfers in college basketball. He brings a strong defensive presence on the inside that most Nate Oats teams seem to lack. Another impactful transfer is Aden Holloway from Auburn. Holloway was a solid contributor as a freshman and should improve his sophomore season. It also feels a bit more rewarding that they took him from their biggest rival.
The Schedule
Alabama may have the toughest non-conference schedule in the country. Purdue, Illinois, Creighton, Houston, and North Carolina headline the schedule for Alabama this season. All of these teams should be in the NCAA tournament and Purdue, North Carolina, Houston, and Creighton could all be national championship contenders. Not only are all teams incredibly talented, but they all have different playstyles. Purdue and Houston are both slow teams that play defensively, while a team like Creighton tries to push the pace. This will be a great way to show how versatile Alabama basketball can be this season.
In addition to these powerhouse programs, Alabama plays a few strong mid-major teams. One team is McNeese State. The Cowboys went 30-4 last season and beat VCU and Michigan. Now in Will Wade’s second season, they should be able to compete with the high-major teams again. Another strong mid-major team on Alabama’s schedule is South Dakota State. The Jackrabbits have been the premier program in the Summit League for quite some time now. They had a down season last year, but are still a quality opponent. While the Crimson Tide should be able to handle both opponents easily, they will be good tests outside of the top teams on their schedule. This is all on top of an SEC schedule which will be even more difficult this year with the additions of Texas and Oklahoma.
Can Alabama Basketball Win it All?
After a few seasons of being an elite program, Alabama basketball finally made it to the Final Four. However, this is not enough for the talent on its roster. The Crimson Tide’s goal this season is national championship or bust. They have one of the best rosters and best coaches in the country. They have multiple SEC Player of the Year candidates and even a National Player of the Year candidate. The Tide needs to roll this season in order for it to be a success.
