Where Alabama Basketball Ranks in Polls Entering December

Did the Crimson Tide move up or down in the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll after falling to Gonzaga but obliterating UNLV and Maryland at the Players Era Festival?

Alabama guard Aden Holloway (2) in action against Maryland during the Players Era tournament at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV on Wednesday, Nov 26, 2025. | Photo by Crimson Tide Photos / UA Athletics

After three weeks into the regular season, Alabama men's basketball entered the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas placed No. 8 in the AP Top 25 and No. 9 in the Coaches Poll.

Alabama fell to then-No. 12 Gonzaga 95-85 to open the NIL event on Nov. 24. However, UA tied its most points in a game under head coach Nate Oats following a 115-76 blowout win over UNLV last Tuesday, and Alabama tied its most assists under Oats (29) after obliterating Maryland 105-72 last Wednesday.

Despite the dismantling of the Rebels and Terrapins, the Crimson Tide's loss to Gonzaga moved it down to No. 12 in both the AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll on Monday.

AP Top 25

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

1. Purdue (40), 7-0, 1494
2. Arizona (6), 7-0, 1442
3. Michigan (15), 7-0, 1417
4. Duke, 8-0, 1355
5. UConn, 6-1, 1244
6. Louisville, 7-0, 1177
7. Michigan State, 7-0, 1095
8. Houston, 7-1, 1070
9. BYU, 6-1, 1037
10. Iowa State, 7-0, 975
11. Gonzaga, 7-1, 934
12. Alabama, 5-2, 869
13. Tennessee, 7-1, 771
14. Illinois, 6-2, 657
15. Florida, 5-2, 568
16. North Carolina, 6-1, 519
17. Vanderbilt, 8-0, 475
18. Kentucky, 5-2, 451
19. Texas Tech, 6-2, 387
20. Auburn, 6-2, 376
21. Kansas, 6-2, 340
22. Indiana, 7-0, 313
23. St. John's. 4-3. 200
24. USC, 7-0, 145
25. Arkansas, 5-2, 127

Others Receiving Votes: Iowa 100, UCLA 59, Nebraska 53, TCU 36, Missouri 28, Utah St. 16, Saint Mary's 15, Baylor 13, Oklahoma St. 12, SMU 12, Clemson 11, LSU 7, Seton Hall 6, Wisconsin 6, NC State 5, Wake Forest 3, California 2, Colorado 1, George Mason 1, Buffalo 1.

Coaches Poll

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

1. Purdue (21), 7-0, 762
2. Michigan (6), 7-0, 721
3. Arizona (3), 7-0, 709
4. Duke (1), 8-0, 696
5. UConn, 6-1, 608
6. Louisville, 7-0, 600
7. Houston, 7-1, 588
8. Michigan State, 7-0, 531
9. Iowa State, 7-0, 502
10. BYU, 6-1, 493
11. Gonzaga, 7-1, 480
12. Alabama, 5-2, 428
13. Tennessee, 7-1, 377
14. Florida, 5-2, 313
15. Illinois, 6-2, 312
16. Vanderbilt, 8-0, 268
17. North Carolina, 6-1, 230
18. Kentucky, 5-2, 222
19. Texas Tech, 6-2, 192
20. Indiana, 7-0, 192 (tied with Texas Tech at No. 19)
21. Kansas, 6-2, 154
22. St. John's, 4-3, 129
23. Arkansas, 5-2, 119
24. Auburn, 6-2, 104
25. Iowa, 7-0, 69

Schools Dropped Out: No. 19 UCLA; No. 22 North Carolina State.

Others Receiving Votes: USC 56; UCLA 33; Nebraska 31; Missouri 28; Saint Mary's 20; Baylor 19; North Carolina State 16; Virginia 14; LSU 14; Clemson 9; Butler 9; Ole Miss 8; TCU 5; Wisconsin 4; Utah State 4; SMU 4; Oklahoma State 1; Colorado 1.

Alabama (5-2) is now turning the page to the SEC/ACC Challenge, as it'll face Clemson (7-1) on Dec. 3 in Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide is 1-1 in the SEC/ACC Challenge with a home loss to Clemson in 2023 and a road win over North Carolina in 2024.

Alabama had a plethora of impressive wins against non-conference opponents last season, but an argument can be made that the 94-78 beatdown over the Tar Heels was the most admirable as the Tide played a practically perfect game on both sides of the court from start to finish.

While Alabama earned a point for the conference during last year's SEC/ACC Challenge, the rest of the Southeastern Conference made a major statement. The SEC logged a 14-2 record in the 2024 event. FOURTEEN WINS and TWO LOSSES against perhaps the best college basketball conference of this generation one year after going 7-7 in the 2023 event.

The SEC absolutely obliterated its non-conference opponents before the SEC/ACC Challenge as well, but it was at this moment that the college basketball world realized that the Southeastern Conference was in charge.

The SEC finished its non-conference slate with an overall record of 185-23, including an all-time best 21-8 record against AP Top 25 teams. And after a wild couple of months of SEC play, the conference sent a record 14 teams to the NCAA Tournament with Florida eventually winning it all.

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. ? in AP Poll, No. 12 in Coaches Poll

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