Alabama basketball moves up in latest USA TODAY Sports bracketology

The Alabama Crimson Tide have a chance to move up the NCAA Tournament seed line if they can avoid an upset or two at this week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville.

Alabama (23-8 overall), the No. 2 seed in the tournament, will face the Ole Miss Rebels (14-19) in the quarterfinal round at Bridgestone Arena Friday. The Rebels have been the surprise team in Nashville this week after posting wins over Texas and Georgia on back-to-back days.

Ole Miss, the No. 15 seed in the tournament, won only four SEC games the entire regular season, but Malik Dia and A.J. Storr led the resurgent Rebels to a 10-point victory over Texas and a 76-72 upset of No. 7 seed Georgia on Thursday. The duo combined for 36 points against the Bulldogs and 41 against the Longhorns.

With the benefit of the double-bye, Alabama hasn’t played since Saturday’s 96-84 demolition of Auburn at Coleman Coliseum. The Crimson Tide got out to a 22-point lead in the first half and went up by 28 in the final stanza. Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway led the Tide with 21 points apiece, Amari Allen added 16, and London Jemison had 11.

Alabama is ranked No. 15 in both the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and AP Top 25 poll.

While Nate Oats’ team has yet to play a game at the SEC Tournament, they’re already moving up in the latest March Madness bracketology update from USA TODAY Sports and other national outlets.

Alabama basketball climbs in USA TODAY Sports’ March Madness outlook ahead of Selection Sunday

In USA TODAY Sports’ updated bracketology on Friday, Alabama rose one spot to a projected No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Analysts Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith and Eddie Timanus have the Crimson Tide facing 14th-seeded UC Irvine from the Big West conference in the first round of March Madness.

The Anteaters are 22-10 overall and won the Big West regular-season championship. UC Irvine takes on Cal State Northridge (20-13) in the semifinal round of the Big West’s tournament at 8 p.m. CT Friday.

Smith said of the Crimson Tide:

“Another team on a strong second half run has been Alabama with the Tide winning eight of 10 entering the postseason. The backcourt of Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon give them the firepower to make some noise.”

USA TODAY’s March Madness projection has Alabama in Greenville, South Carolina, for the first round of the NCAA Tournament. If Alabama wins its first-round game, Myerberg, Smith and Timanus see a potential clash with the projected No. 6 seed Miami Hurricanes (25-7) in the second round.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, CBS Sports, and veteran college hoops analysts Andy Katz and Jerry Palm all moved Alabama up from a projected No. 4 seed to a No. 3 seed this week, as well.

Other No. 3 seeds in USA TODAY Sports’ latest March Madness forecast are Iowa State, Nebraska, and Gonzaga. Gonzaga defeated Alabama, 95-85, at the Players Era Festival in Las Vegas in November.

Bubble watch: Which SEC teams are in and out of NCAA Tournament?

Using USA TODAY Sports’ current March Madness forecast, the SEC has 10 teams projected to reach the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Here’s who’s in and who’s out as of Friday, March 13.

WHO’S IN

Arkansas Razorbacks (No. 5 seed, Midwest Region)
Vanderbilt Commodores (No. 5 seed, East Region)
Missouri Tigers (No. 10 seed, East Region)

WHO’S OUT

Auburn
Oklahoma

Auburn and Oklahoma are in USA TODAY Sports’ first four out. The Tigers (17-16) fell to Tennessee, 72-62, at the SEC Tournament on Thursday. The Sooners (19-14) rolled past Texas A&M, 83-63, on Thursday.

Alabama basketball schedule 2026

Here’s a game by game look at Alabama’s 2025-26 men’s basketball schedule

Nov. 3: vs. North Dakota (W, 91-62)
Nov. 8: at St. John’s (W, 103-96)
Nov. 13: vs. Purdue (L, 87-80)
Nov. 19: vs. Illinois (W, 90-86)
Nov. 24: vs. Gonzaga (L, 95-85)
Nov. 25: vs. UNLV (W, 115-76)
Nov. 26: vs. Maryland (W, 105-72)
Dec. 3: vs. Clemson (W, 90-84)
Dec. 7: vs. UTSA (W, 97-55)
Dec. 13: vs. Arizona (L, 96-75)
Dec. 17: vs. South Florida (W, 104-93)
Dec. 21: vs. Kennesaw State (W, 92-81)
Dec. 29: vs. Yale (W, 102-78)
Jan. 3: vs. Kentucky (W, 89-74)
Jan. 7: at Vanderbilt (L, 96-90)
Jan. 10: vs. Texas (L, 92-88)
Jan. 13: at Mississippi State (W, 97-82)
Jan. 17: at Oklahoma (W, 83-81)
Jan. 24: vs. Tennessee (L, 79-73)
Jan. 27: vs. Missouri (W, 90-64)
Feb. 1: at Florida (L, 100-77)
Feb. 4: vs. Texas A&M (W, 100-97)
Feb. 7: at Auburn (W, 96-92)
Feb. 11: at Ole Miss (W, 93-74)
Feb. 14: vs. South Carolina (W, 89-75)
Feb. 18: vs. Arkansas (W, 117-115, 2OT)
Feb. 21: at LSU (W, 90-83)
Feb. 25: vs. Mississippi State (W, 100-75)
Feb. 28: at Tennessee (W, 71-69)
March 3: at Georgia (L, 98-88)
March 7: vs. Auburn (W, 96-84)
March 13: vs. Ole Miss, 6 p.m. CT, SEC Network

Record: 23-8.

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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama basketball rises in USA TODAY Sports March Madness outlook