Alabama Crimson Tide NCAA Basketball Betting
Alabama is coming off its first No.1 seed and final four in school history. The next step for Nate Oats is to ascend to the top of the Mountain. That begins with the roster. The Tide has what probably is the deepest roster in the country thanks to some key transfers and a top recruiting class added to a couple of big-time returners. The 13 players on the roster provide Oats with more options than a large portion of the rest of the 363 teams in Division I.
People were rightfully excited when Mark Sears and Grant Nelson announced they were returning to Alabama for their final season. Those two epitomize the picture of the Alabama offense: they shoot layups and three-pointers. Sears shot 43.6% from deep, and Nelson was just as efficient inside, shooting 61% on his two-point attempts. The other returning starter is senior guard Latrell Wrightsell, who shot an even better 44% from deep.
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Over the past two seasons, many boxes have been checked off in the history books of Alabama basketball. In 2023, the Tide earned their first-ever No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. Last year, they reached the elite eight for the second time, and the final four was the first in the program's history. The final box to be checked for Nate Oats and his team is to reach the top of the mountain.
That’s two Sweet Sixteens and a Final Four in five seasons for Oats in Tuscaloosa, and coming off that first-ever final for the Tide are ready to roll into next season for another attempt at that brass ring. The Crimson Tide lost three key pieces to their rotation in the offseason: Rylen Griffen and Nick Pringle transferred, and Aaron Estrada graduated, but plenty of that veteran foundation returns.
It’s that foundation and leadership that has Alabama looking onward and upward. Even returning a strong foundation isn’t enough in today’s world, especially at the upper levels of the sport. Even successful teams must make changes if they want to keep up with the Joneses, and that’s what Alabama has done.
Those veterans aren’t the only reason for such optimism. The Crimson Tide brings on board a top-10 transfer class and the No. 2 recruiting class in the country, according to 247Sports. Adding four top-45 recruits to that foundation adds to the excitement surrounding the program heading into the season. At the end of the year, will the Tide be at an all-time high or a disappointing low?
With perhaps the deepest roster in college basketball, Alabama made sure they'll have plenty of options on any given night. They also ensured they had a roster that should play to the strengths that made them a success last season. The Tide has a team that can deliver the first national title in school history.
The roster is deep and talented and fits what Nate Oats wants to do offensively, like a glove. The problem for Alabama has come at the other end of the floor. Their 111th finish in defensive efficiency last season was last among power-conference teams that made the tournament. The Tide were also 201st in two-point defense and 127th in effective field goal defense. If Alabama wants to win the first title in school history, the defense must improve.
Oats recognized the deficiency and made Omoruyi a priority in the portal. The big man should make a big difference in the interior defense, which feeds into another of Alabama’s strengths, defending the three-point shot, where they held opponents to just 31.7% last season.
Alabama will never be an elite defense, but with such an elite offense, they don’t have to be. An adequately improved defense paired with that offense makes them a national title contender.
Latest NCAA Tournament Results
| YEAR |
RESULT |
| 2024 |
Lost Final Four vs. (1) Connecticut 72–86 |
| 2023 |
Lost Sweet Sixteen vs. (5) San Diego State 64–71 |
| 2022 |
Lost First Round vs. (11) Notre Dame, 64–78 |
| 2021 |
Lost Sweet Sixteen vs. (11) UCLA, 78–88 (OT) |
| 2018 |
Lost Second Round vs. (1) Villanova, 58–81 |
| 2012 |
Lost Second Round vs. (8) Creighton, 57–58 |
| 2006 |
Lost Second Round vs. (2) UCLA, 59–62 |
2024-2025 NCAA Basketball Top Teams
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