Ranking each SEC basketball team entering conference play
3. Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama would probably rank No. 1 in multiple high-major conferences, but that just shows how deep the SEC is this season. Even so, the 11-2 Crimson Tide have played well and will likely be in the SEC title mix down the stretch. Alabama鈥檚 two losses thus far have come to two of the Big Ten鈥檚 top teams: Oregon and Purdue. Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide have picked up multiple resume-building wins over Illinois, Houston, Rutgers, North Carolina and Creighton. Per usual, the Tide feature an explosive offense under Nate Oats that ranks No. 1 in the country, putting up 89.7 points per game. What may ultimately hold Alabama back is its defense which ranks just 306th out of 355 D-I teams. Still, the Crimson Tide鈥檚 ability to outscore opponents behind veteran stars Mark Sears and Grant Nelson could be enough to propel them to an SEC title.
