Where Alabama Basketball Ranks After Week 5

How far did the Crimson Tide move up in the polls after obliterating North Carolina on the road?

Dec 4, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats reacts in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala.— Despite logging a 6-2 record, Alabama men's basketball had been off to a slow start in the rankings for the first month of the season as it went from No. 2 in the preseason AP Poll (highest preseason placement in program history), to then No. 8 after Week 2, No. 9 after Week 3 and No. 10 after Week 4.

Week 2 featured Alabama's first road test of the season against then-No. 13 Purdue, but the Crimson Tide fell 87-78. But ever since, each of Alabama's games were in a neutral setting, as the Tide defeated Illinois in the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham and won 2-of-3 matchups in the inaugural Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

Alabama played its second road game of the season Dec. 4 at then-No. 20 North Carolina in Chapel Hill, N.C., in the SEC/ACC Challenge and dominated 94-79. Turnovers and inconsistency on both sides of the ball had been two of the Tide's main cons coming into this game, but Alabama fixed each of these a bit and it resulted in a resounding statement win from start to finish.

After defeating this premier Blue Blood college basketball program, Alabama moved up to No. 7 in the AP Top 25 Poll and to No. 8 in the Coaches Poll.

AP Top 25 Poll

(Rank, Team, First-Place Votes, Record, Points)

1. Tennessee (58), 8-0, 1544
2. Auburn (3), 8-1, 1438
3. Iowa State (1), 7-1, 1424
4. Duke, 7-2, 1295
5. Kentucky, 8-1, 1284
6. Marquette, 9-1, 1274
7. Alabama, 7-2, 1126
8. Gonzaga, 7-2, 1082
9. Florida, 9-0, 1030
10. Kansas, 7-2, 940
11. Purdue, 8-2, 840
12. Oregon, 9-1, 784
13. Oklahoma, 9-0, 567
14. Michigan, 8-1, 522
15. Houston, 5-3, 514
16. Clemson, 9-1, 491
17. Texas A&M, 8-2, 415
18. UConn, 7-3, 394
19. Ole Miss, 8-1, 379
20. Wisconsin, 8-2, 307
21. Michigan State, 8-2, 292
22. Cincinnati, 8-1, 288
23. San Diego State, 276
24. UCLA, 8-1, 229
25. Mississippi State, 8-1, 179

Others receiving votes: Baylor 150, Arizona St 143, Memphis 123, Missouri 119, Penn St. 90, Arkansas 89, Drake 67, Pittsburgh 62, Utah St. 57, Illinois 47, St. John's 43, Maryland 39, Dayton 38, Creighton 32, Indiana 30, West Virginia 30, North Carolina 24, Georgia 21, Saint Mary's 20, Texas 8, Rhode Island 3, Loyola Chicago 1.

Coaches Poll

(Rank, Team, First-Place Votes, Record, Points)

1. Tennessee (25), 8-0, 745
2. Auburn (5), 8-1, 709
3. Iowa State, 7-1, 673
4. Marquette, 9-1, 633
5. Kentucky, 8-1, 630
6. Duke, 7-2, 613
7. Florida, 9-0, 530
8. Alabama, 7-2, 525
9. Gonzaga, 7-2, 462
10. Kansas, 7-2, 449
11. Purdue, 8-2, 424
12. Oregon, 9-1, 377
13. Houston, 5-3, 304
14. Michigan, 8-1, 258
15. Ole Miss, 8-1, 249
16. Clemson, 9-1, 237
17. Oklahoma, 9-0, 233
18. Texas A&M, 8-2, 194
19. Michigan State, 8-2, 166
20. UConn, 7-3, 152
21. UCLA, 8-1, 137
22. Wisconsin, 8-2, 129
23. Cincinnati, 7-1, 124
24. San Diego State, 6-2, 105
25. Baylor, 5-3, 99

Schools Dropped Out: No. 15 Memphis; No. 17 Illinois; No. 19 Pittsburgh; No. 22 North Carolina;

Others Receiving Votes: Mississippi State 93; Illinois 67; St. John's 51; Pittsburgh 50; Arizona State 44; Memphis 37; Maryland 36; Drake 35; Utah State 32; Saint Mary's 28; Penn State 26; Creighton 20; Georgia 18; Missouri 14; West Virginia 11; Arkansas 10; UC Irvine 5; Texas 5; Dayton 4; Texas Tech 2; North Carolina 2; Loyola Chicago 2; LSU 1;

Alabama in the Polls by Week:

• Preseason: No. 2 in AP Poll, No. 2 in Coaches Poll
• After Week 1 (UNC Asheville win, Arkansas State win): No. 2 in AP Poll, No. 2 in Coaches Poll
• After Week 2 (McNeese win, Purdue loss): No. 8 in the AP Poll, No. 7 in the Coaches Poll
• After Week 3 (Illinois win): No. 9 in AP Poll, No. 9 in Coaches Poll
• After Week 4 (Houston win, Rutgers win, Oregon loss): No. 10 in AP Poll, No. 12 in Coaches Poll
• After Week 5 (North Carolina win): No. 7 in AP Poll, No. 8 in Coaches Poll