Where Alabama Basketball Ranks in Polls Before Facing Arizona

Did the Crimson Tide move up in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll after taking down Clemson and UTSA at home?

Dec 3, 2025; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Alabama head coach Nate Oats gestures as he yells to an official during the game with Clemson at Coleman Coliseum. Alabama defeated Clemson 90-84. Mandatory Credit: Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News | Gary Cosby Jr.-Tuscaloosa News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After four weeks into the regular season, Alabama men's basketball entered the SEC/ACC Challenge placed No. 12 in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll.

The Crimson Tide outlasted Clemson 90-84 at home on Dec. 3. Alabama blew a 19-point lead and the Tigers even took the lead at one point, but UA locked in down the stretch. UA followed the victory with a dominant 97-55 home win over UTSA on Dec. 7.

Following these triumphs, Alabama remained at No. 12 in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll on Monday. It's worth mentioning that since 2004, every national champion was inside of the top 12 in the Week 6 poll.

Alabama now turns the page to its next game against No. 1 Arizona in the C.M. Newton Classic on Saturday, Dec. 13 at Legacy Arena at BJCC in Birmingham, Ala. This is a return neutral-site game from the 2023-24 season when these two programs played in Phoenix. Arizona won that contest 87-74 on Dec. 20, 2023.

This story will be updated with the full Coaches Poll and AP Top 25.

AP Top 25

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

1. Arizona (33), 8-0, 1461
2. Michigan (19), 8-0, 1440
3. Duke (7), 10-0, 1400
4. Iowa State (1), 9-0, 1304
5. UConn, 8-1, 1263
6. Purdue, 8-1, 1173
7. Houston, 8-1, 1064
8. Gonzaga, 9-1, 1054
9. Michigan State, 8-1, 1017
10. BYU, 7-1, 1007
11. Louisville, 8-1, 877
12. Alabama, 7-2, 854
13. Illinois, 7-2, 771
14. UNC, 8-1, 724
15. Vanderbilt, 9-0, 686
16. Texas Tech, 7-2, 508
17. Arkansas, 7-2, 488
18. Florida, 5-3, 422
19. Kansas, 7-3, 380
20. Tennessee, 7-3, 286
21. Auburn, 7-3, 264
22. St. John's, 5-3, 254
23. Nebraska, 9-0, 180
24. Virginia, 8-1, 130
25. UCLA, 7-2, 79

Others Receiving Votes: Iowa 60, Oklahoma St. 54, Southern Cal 50, Georgia 49, Saint Mary's 38, Seton Hall 31, Kentucky 29, Wisconsin 24, Indiana 18, Clemson 14, LSU 14, Villanova 9, California 6, Notre Dame 4, Miami 4, SMU 3, TCU 2, Arizona St 2, Miami (Ohio) 2, St. Bonaventure 1.

Coaches Poll

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

1. Michigan (17), 8-0, 755
2. Arizona (11), 8-0, 742
3. Duke (2), 10-0, 723
4. Iowa State (1), 9-0, 651
5. UConn, 8-1, 628
6. Purdue, 8-1, 617
7. Gonzaga, 9-1, 565
8. Houston, 8-1, 547
9. Michigan State, 8-1, 517
10. BYU, 7-1, 507
11. Louisville, 8-1, 456
12. Alabama, 7-2, 436
13. Illinois, 7-2, 371
14. Vanderbilt, 9-0, 365
15. North Carolina, 8-1, 341
16. Texas Tech, 7-2, 277
17. Arkansas, 7-2, 245
18. Florida, 5-3, 213
19. Kansas, 7-3, 208
20. Tennessee, 7-3, 170
21. St. John's, 5-3, 138
22. Nebraska, 9-0, 114
23. Iowa, 8-1, 77
24. Auburn, 7-3, 76
25. Virginia, 8-1, 67

Schools Dropped Out: No. 18 Kentucky; No. 19 Indiana.

Others Receiving Votes: Saint Mary's 52; UCLA 35; Oklahoma State 33; Wisconsin 32; USC 20; Seton Hall 16; Indiana 16; Kentucky 14; SMU 11; Missouri 7; Clemson 7; Ohio State 6; Georgia 5; Miami (FL) 4; LSU 4; Utah State 3; Yale 2; California 1; Baylor 1.

Against Clemson, Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr. tied a career high with 29 points and freshman wing Amari Allen had a 20-point double-double. Additionally, forward Aiden Sherrell also had a career night on the boards with 10 rebounds and blocked eight shots.

Against UTSA, Alabama guard Jalil Bethea led the way with 21 points in his first game with impactful minutes this season. The Miami transfer missed the first seven games after suffering a foot injury during a practice in mid-September. Additionally, Philon and freshman London Jemison each scored 20 points.

Alabama Basketball's 2025 Season in the Polls:

• Preseason: No. 15 in AP Poll, No. 16 in Coaches Poll
• After Week 1 (North Dakota win, St. John's win): No. 8 in AP Poll, No. 9 in Coaches Poll
• After Week 2 (Purdue loss): No. 11 in AP Poll, No. 11 in Coaches Poll
• After Week 3 (Illinois win): No. 8 in AP Poll, No. 9 in Coaches Poll
• After Week 4 (Gonzaga loss, UNLV win, Maryland win): No. 12 in AP Poll, No. 12 in Coaches Poll
• After Week 5 (Clemson win, UTSA win): No. 12 in AP Poll, No. 12 in Coaches Poll

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