BamaCentral's NCAA Tournament Postcard Before Alabama Plays Hofstra

TAMPA, Fla. -- 4-seed Alabama is in Benchmark International Arena on Thursday ahead of their NCAA Tournament first round game against 13-seed Hofstra. The Crimson Tide and Pride spent time with the media in addition to holding a public shoot around before the two programs go head-to-head on Friday.

Alabama largely discussed who needs to step up with the absence of star guard Aden Holloway, while Hofstra focused on treating the Crimson Tide like any other opponent. Both coaches stressed the importance of playing their own style basketball game in order to advance to the Round of 32. Alabama enters the matchup as a double-digit favorite, but Hofstra has several dangerous elements that make them a popular underdog pick to advance to the second round.

Watch the above video as Alabama Crimson Tide on SI writers Katie Windham, Theo Fernandez, and Joe Gaither discuss everything we saw at media day ahead of the NCAA Tournament first round matchup between Alabama and Hofstra.

2026 Midwest Region

No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 16 UMBC/Howard
No. 8 Georgia vs. No. 9 Saint Louis
No. 5 Texas Tech vs. No. 12 Akron
No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 13 Hofstra
No. 6 Tennessee vs. No. 11 Miami (Ohio)/SMU
No. 3 Virginia vs. No. 14 Wright State
No. 7 Kentucky vs. No. 10 Santa Clara
No. 2 Iowa State vs. No. 15 Tennessee State

Alabama Basketball in the NCAA Tournament:

(Season, Seed, Final Result)

1974-75: Lost in Round of 64 (NCAA Tournament seeding introduced in 1979)
1975-76: Lost in Sweet 16
1981-82: 4-seed, Lost in Sweet 16
1982-83: 6-seed, Lost in Round of 64
1983-84: 9-seed, Lost in Round of 64
1984-85: 7-seed, Lost in Sweet 16
1985-86: 5-seed, Lost in Sweet 16
1986-87 (vacated): 2-seed, Lost in Sweet 16
1988-89: 6-seed, Lost in Round of 64
1989-90: 7-seed, Lost in Sweet 16
1990-91: 4-seed, Lost in Sweet 16
1991-92: 5-seed, Lost in Round of 32
1993-94: 9-seed, Lost in Round of 32
1994-95: 5-seed, Lost in Round of 32
2001-02: 2-seed, Lost in Round of 32
2002-03: 10-seed, Lost in Round of 64
2003-04: 8-seed, Lost in Elite Eight
2004-05: 5-seed, Lost in Round of 64
2005-06: 10-seed, Lost in Round of 32
2011-12: 9-seed, Lost in Round of 32
2017-18: 9-seed, Lost in Round of 32
2020-21: 2-seed, Lost in Sweet 16
2021-22: 6-seed, Lost in Round of 64
2022-23: No. 1 overall seed, Lost in Sweet 16
2023-24: 4-seed, Lost in Final Four
2024-25: 2-seed, Lost in Elite Eight
2025-26: 4-seed, Result TBD

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