Alabama basketball fans are primed to expect the Crimson Tide to make another Final Four run. Nate Oats recruited a strong signing class and added quality pieces through the Transfer Portal. There are good reasons for optimism. <\/p>\n
Juxtaposed against such optimism is the SEC will again be a gauntlet. Last season, with a Strength of Schedule ranked No. 1 by Ken Pomeroy, KPom ranked<\/a> Alabama No. 4 offensively, No. 28 defensively, and overall, college basketball’s No. 6 team. With a better defensive performance, the Crimson Tide might have gained an NCAA Tournament 1-seed and made it to the Final Four. Pomeroy’s final ranking slotted Alabama as the SEC’s 4th-best team.<\/p>\n What about Alabama Basketball and 2025-26?<\/p>\n In early July, USA Today published a 2025-26 college basketball preseason ranking<\/a> with Alabama as the SEC’s No. 2 team and No. 8 overall. With the Crimson Tide having to replace an average of over 60 points per game from last season’s roster, No. 2 in the SEC is a lofty preseason ranking.<\/p>\n Not all college basketball experts agree. More recently, Jon Rothstein, who knows more than a thing or two about the world of college basketball, stated that going into the 2025-26 season, Nate Oats’ team will be the SEC’s fifth-best. Above Alabama, Rothstein<\/a> has Florida, Arkansas, Kentucky, and Auburn. ESPN Top 25 rankings by Jeff Borzello<\/a> agree with Rothstein about Alabama. Borzello has Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Auburn above the Crimson Tide. <\/p>\n