Alabama basketball ranks No. 1 in the nation in way-too-early ranking
For arguably the first time in program history, Alabama Crimson Tide basketball will have major expectations heading into a season. After earning the No. 1 overall seed in the 2023 NCAA Tournament followed by the school’s first-ever Final Four run in 2024, there is pressure on Nate Oats.
Oats has quickly established himself as one of the top coaches in the country with two SEC regular season titles and two SEC Tournament championships on top of his NCAA Tournament success. Oats is so highly regarded, that when the Kentucky job opened he was their first choice, fortunately, he declined.
With the addition of Clifford Omoruyi to an already stacked roster, the Crimson Tide will be the team to beat next year despite UConn’s back-to-back national championships. Mark Sears’s NBA draft status is the final piece in question for the Alabama faithful, but at this point in time, it seems more likely than not that he returns to Tuscaloosa next year.
Heading into the summer, On3 has released their Way-Too-Early Top 25 rankings, and they actually have the Crimson Tide ranked No. 1 saying, “Alabama made big headlines once again this week by adding former Rutgers center Clifford Omoruyi to the starting lineup. The Crimson Tide is now talented and deep at every position with only two NBA Draft decisions left from Mark Sears and Jarin Stevenson.”
UPDATED: On3 Way-Too-Early College Basketball Top 25🏀https://t.co/ygQytyoX8T pic.twitter.com/7EErzDDaKP
— On3 (@On3sports) May 6, 2024
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