SEC Announces Conference Schedule for Alabama Basketball, Rest of Conference
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The 2021-2022 conference schedules of the 14 men's basketball programs of the Southeastern Conference were announced on Wednesday morning.
For Alabama, its heavy non-conference schedule is now joined by an equally difficult SEC schedule.
While dates and times are to be announced, the Crimson Tide will host the usual nine home games and nine away games. In Coleman Coliseum, Alabama will host Arkansas, Auburn, Kentucky, LSU, Mississippi State, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas A&M.
On the road, the Crimson Tide will visit Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, Missouri and Vanderbilt.
In the 2020-2021 season that saw Alabama make it to the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Tournament, the Crimson Tide finished the season with a 16-2 record in the SEC. Both of Alabama's losses were on the road, with one being a close loss at Missouri by a margin of 68-65 and the other a blowout at the hands of Arkansas, 81-66.
Alabama picked up some solid victories both at home and on the road, sweeping Tennessee, LSU, Auburn and Kentucky. The sweep of the Wildcats was a first for the program in 32 years dating back to the 1988-1989 season.
While the Southeastern Conference is already one of the top-tier men's basketball conferences in the country, the potential addition of Texas and Oklahoma should they move from the Big 12 will make Alabama's conference schedule even more difficult.
On Tuesday, Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats gave his thoughts on the possible addition of the Longhorns and the Sooners to an already treacherous conference schedule.
“You look at the pros that have come out of both those programs," Oats said on The Paul Finebaum Show. "They’ve got some of the better pros in the NBA right now when you look at Buddy Hield and Trae Young at Oklahoma, Blake Griffin, and Texas has Kevin Durant. Shoot, I grew up in Wisconsin, I’m a Bucks fan, and PJ Tucker helped us win a championship. There’s been some legitimate pros come out of both those programs, they’ve won a lot of games, there’s a lot of tradition.
“I think it’s gonna make our league a lot tougher. I’m looking forward to playing tough teams, but it’ll definitely upgrade the overall talent in our league and make it an even better basketball league.”
Here is the full slate of games, courtesy of the SEC. Dates, times and TV listings will be determined at a later date.
