Alabama Basketball's SEC Title Chances Are Still Great, But The Race Is Much Tougher
If there is one goal that Alabama basketball head coach Nate Oats has mentioned this season, it is to win the SEC regular season championship.
The Crimson Tide managed to secure the title during Oats' second season with several players who would soon go on to the NBA, including Herbert Jones, Josh Primo and Keon Ellis. With the 2022-23 season coming to a close, Alabama is in prime position to win its second title in three years, led by future NBA player Brandon Miller.
More than that, it appeared that Alabama was well on its way to accomplishing something that hasn't been done in the program since the mid-1950s: go undefeated in conference play.
After a combination of blowouts, close wins and the program being No. 1 overall for the first time in 20 years, it became more and more likely that Oats and the team would pull it off, that was until a turnover-plagued performance on the road resulted in a 68-59 loss to No. 10 Tennessee Wednesday night.
Jokes about losing to the Volunteers (again) aside, Alabama's once-clear path to the regular season title is now in serious jeopardy. But with five games left in the regular season and the team still in first place, the Crimson Tide still controls its own destiny.
So what's next?
The easiest way to start is by looking at what's waiting at the end of the schedule: Texas A&M. The Aggies sit one game behind Alabama in the standings with an 11-2 conference record. The Aggies are also on a four-game winning steak with a final stretch that isn't easy, but also isn't the toughest way to end the season: at Missouri, Tennessee, at Mississippi State, at Ole Miss, then the season finale against Alabama at home.
If Texas A&M and Alabama both win the next four games, it'll be a winner-take-all finale in College Station.
A lot of the success can be attributed to the guard tandem of Wade Taylor IV and Tyrece Radford. Taylor is averaging 21 points over the last three games for the Aggies, while Radford has scored in double figures for eight straight games.
Tennessee also has a puncher's chance with a 9-4 record, but the Volunteers would essentially need both Alabama and Texas A&M to bottom out while going at least 4-1 themselves in the final five games. And with a schedule that includes road games against Kentucky, Texas A&M and Auburn, and a home game against Arkansas, the chance of that isn’t great.
That leaves the Crimson Tide.
For reference, Alabama's final five games are at home against Georgia, on the road at South Carolina, and home games against Arkansas and Auburn before the team hits the road to College Station, Texas.
The only game that should be comfortably in the win column is against the Gamecocks, who have had a woeful season. Although GG Jackson has talent comparable to Miller's, his recent actions off the court have led to reduced minutes. It's not a good time in Columbia to say the least.
But every other game has major challenges, starting with a Georgia team that's won its last two games and is looking to get back to a .500 SEC record. Momentum, good or bad, hasn't been a problem for Alabama before, but no one knows how the team will react to taking a loss after being voted No. 1 in the polls.. That said, the Bulldogs are awful on the road (1-7 record) while Alabama is still a perfect 12-0 in Coleman Coliseum.
The two games that figure to be the most troublesome are against Arkansas and Auburn, and both teams will be looking for revenge.
Arkansas ended up getting embarrassed at home after a strong first half, while Auburn couldn't get stops down the stretch and spoiled a 24-point performance from Wendell Green Jr.
The Tigers also lost to their rival after hosting College Gameday.
There are some games where the trends, stats and records become secondary, and those two games fit the bill. But both of those will be inside Coleman Coliseum, and the Crimson Tide has shown all season how it can take its game to another level at home.
Another thing to keep in mind is that Alabama didn’t respond well to the physicality of Tennessee, but that was an experience that will benefit the team heading into tournament play. Oats talked about how that kind of pressure "can't be replicated" in practice, and as great as Miller, Jaden Bradley and Noah Clowney are, they are all still freshmen.
Regardless, to win the SEC title, Alabama still needs a strong finish. Next up is Georgia on Saturday. Tipoff is at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
See also: Rocky Stopped: No. 1 Alabama’s Offense Suffocated by Pressure from No. 10 Tennessee
Turnovers Crucial Factor in Alabama Basketball's Loss at Tennessee
When Alabama Basketball's Offense Failed, It Was The Defense That Gave The Tide Chance
