The Extra Point: Putting Alabama Basketball's Success into Perspective

The Alabama basketball team is positioned to make the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years for the first time since 2006.

The inconsistencies and up-and-down nature of the Alabama basketball team have been well-chronicled this season.

While the Crimson Tide have secured big wins over top teams such as Gonzaga, Baylor, and Houston, they have also suffered some inexplicable losses to teams like Iona, Georgia and Missouri. The play at times has been maddening for fans and even head coach Nate Oats has voiced frustration with certain aspects of the team throughout the season.

However, when looking at the big picture, Alabama basketball has come a long way from where it was just a couple of years ago. 

Alabama (18-10, 8-7) is currently ranked as the No. 24 team in the country by the AP poll and ESPN's Joe Lunardi has them projected as a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament. If the Crimson Tide were to make that projection a reality, it would be the first time they have made the NCAA Tournament in consecutive seasons since 2006.

As mentioned earlier, Alabama has beaten three of the four Final Four teams from last season and currently sits at No. 23 in the NET Rankings with seven Quad 1 victories. The Crimson Tide close the regular season with two home games against South Carolina and Texas A&M and then a road date with the LSU Tigers who sit at No. 18 in the NET Rankings. 

While Alabama basketball certainly has had some inconsistent play this season, Nate Oats has turned the program in the right direction and now will look to make a run in March.

No. 24 Alabama will host South Carolina on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT in Coleman Coliseum. The game will be televised on SEC Network. 

Check out the video at the top of the page where BamaCentral's Clay Miller and Clayton Connick discuss the state of Alabama's basketball program and their chances in the NCAA Tournament.

The Extra Point: Putting Alabama Basketball's Success into Perspective