What the 2023 Alabama Basketball Team will be Remembered For

Wrapping up the historic season for the Crimson Tide plus looking ahead at the future of the program.

SI Editorial | Mar 26, 2023

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Alabama Crimson Tide

When looking back on the 2022-23 season for Alabama basketball, finding the words to describe its accomplishments and shortcomings can be difficult.

On the positive end of the spectrum, words like "overachieved" and "program-defining" come to mind. However, there are equally words on the negative side that can mean just as much.

"Premature," "early exit" and "disappointing" will likely be words that you might hear when describing this year's squad. The Crimson Tide's early ousting from the NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16 for the second time in three seasons certainly sent shockwaves not just around the Alabama faithful, but the world of college basketball as a whole.

Upsets in March are what make The Big Dance so special. If 1-seeds won the tournament every year, then it would likely be one of the most underwhelming spectacles in college sports. This season, Alabama was on the receiving end of one of those upsets, contributing to the first Elite Eight in March Madness history that fails to host a single 1-seed.

Just because the Crimson Tide's season came to a sudden, screeching halt on Friday night inside the KFC Yum! Center doesn't mean that the entire season was a wash, though. Throughout this season, Crimson Tide fans were treated to what might go down as the best team to ever call Tuscaloosa home.

With that, let's look at some of the highs — and then the lows — of what was Alabama basketball's historic 2022-23 season:

The Highs

31-6.

Alabama's final record. At the end of the season, the Crimson Tide's record is something that should make fans hold their heads high, with those 31 wins being the most-ever in a single season in program history.

16-2.

Alabama's record in the Southeastern Conference. Throughout the regular season, the Crimson Tide lost just two SEC games: one at Tennessee back in mid-February and at Texas A&M in the team's regular-season finale. While both games were tough losses for Alabama, the response from each of them helped boost the team to its historic record.

Following the loss at Tennessee, Alabama responded with a 108-59 decimation of Georgia before moving on to win its next four games. After the loss at Texas A&M, the Crimson Tide then strolled through the SEC Tournament as its 1-seed, winning the championship to go along with its regular-season title.

“I'll say it's one of the most memorable seasons ever," Alabama head coach Nate Oats said. "It's not easy to win the regular season, the SEC tournament in the same year and make a Sweet 16 run."

15-0.

Alabama's perfect record inside Coleman Coliseum. If there is any doubt about the health of the Crimson Tide's fan base following this season, then one need simply look at the replays of games. Coleman displayed not just one of the best crowds in the SEC, but one of the best in the country this season. Loud doesn't even begin to describe the audio levels ringing in the lofty rafters of the arena that fans jokingly refer to as 'The Hangar.'

The season meant so much more than just the numbers of records, though. Wins over ranked Michigan State and North Carolina teams in the Phil Knight Invitational on Thanksgiving weekend led into one of the biggest road wins in college basketball this season in Alabama's win at Houston.

Season sweeps of Arkansas, Auburn and LSU along with a win over Kentucky highlighted SEC play. The Crimson Tide's domination over the SEC alongside the majority of teams on its schedule led to another program-first: the No. 1-overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Individual player performances like those from freshmen Brandon Miller and Noah Clowney alongside veterans like Jahvon Quinerly and Noah Gurley made the Crimson Tide one of the most fun teams to watch both in-person and on people's various screens.

"It's a blessing, to be honest, especially for this to be my last college season," Gurley said after his final game. "I didn’t know what to expect when I came back. It’s more than I could ask for to be honest. So, I’m just thankful.”

And at the end of the day, this team showed one of the tightest bonds that we've ever seen in T-Town.

“It's a great group that really loves each other," Oats said. "I mean, they're going to be close for life, most of them. You know, I love the group, they love each other, and it's just really disappointing that it's ending early.

"But I think it's one of the most memorable seasons in Alabama history, and they can walk out of here with their heads up.”

The Lows

It goes without saying that Alabama's 71-64 loss to San Diego State in the Sweet 16 is the low point of the season. For the second time in three years, the Crimson Tide's road to the Final Four was abruptly stopped short.

However, the loss to the Aztecs provided the perfect summation of all of Alabama's low points this season.

While the Crimson Tide's shooters didn't experience a plethora of cold streaks throughout the season, the issues on the floor grew worse and worse down the final stretch. Players that had formerly been highly dependable like Mark Sears grew ice-cold from the floor over the final stretch.

Miller was far-and-above the most consistent player of the Crimson Tide this season, but even he had his off-games. Alabama had a deep enough roster to alleviate his shortcomings and adapt, but in the Crimson Tide's final game of the season, everything came to a head.

Against SDSU, Alabama shot just 32 percent from the floor. From beyond the arc, the Crimson Tide was an abysmal 3-of-27 — 11 percent. In the tournament as a whole, Miller finished shooting just 8-41 from the floor.

That 19.5 shooting percentage is the lowest by any player that attempted 35 shots or more in the NCAA Tournament since 1985.

Alabama had its streaky points of the season that saw close games, and it almost always revolved about spurts of poor shooting. Not just from one individual, but the team as a whole. Those streaks were at their worst point — outside of the team's tournament run — over the final weeks of the regular season. Following the huge win over Georgia, the Crimson Tide won its next three games by a combined 10 points, including two overtime wins at South Carolina and against Auburn.

Alabama's 2022-23 team was far from perfect, but its ability to adapt and overcome its shortcomings was one of its biggest strengths. The Crimson Tide likely won't be remembered for its failings, but instead its successes.

The disappointing end to the tournament certainly won't stop stinging in the near future, though.

What's Next?

People will always wonder what might have been with this Alabama basketball team. The first 1-seed in program history, yet still could not advance past the Sweet 16. With Miller and Clowney likely heading to the NBA Draft and assistants Charlie Henry and Bryan Hodgson off to head coaching gigs, this will be a big offseason for Oats and the Crimson Tide.

Despite the inevitable changes, and regardless of whether or not Quinerly returns for a final season, Alabama established a core of players that it can build on for years to come.

"I think it's the best program in the SEC if you ask me," Quinerly said when asked to describe the future of Alabama basketball. "I think we proved that the last 3 years. And for all the recruits out there, if you want to win, come to Alabama.”

Anything can happen with the volatility of the transfer portal, but Alabama should return Sears, Jaden Bradley, Rylan Griffen, Charles Bediako, Nick Pringle and Nimari Burnett next season.

Sears was Alabama's second-leading scorer all season behind Miller. Even though he slumped at the end of the season, the guard showed his shooting and scoring ability as a major addition to the Crimson Tide from the transfer portal.

Bradley and Griffen both saw significant playing time as freshmen with the former starting for most of the season. Both showed flashes of potential and helped Alabama win some big games this season like Bradley's 12 points in the win at No. 1 Houston or Griffen's 16 points in the road win over Auburn.

"It’s been amazing," Griffen said of his freshmen season. "I learned a lot. A lot of ups and downs but, I wouldn't trade this season for nothing. I'm very happy to be a part of this team."

Bediako made a huge jump in production, strength and impact from his freshman season to his sophomore year, evolving even more into "Angry Chuck." The 7-foot center will continue to be a major force in the post for Alabama on both offense and defense next season. Pringle is a post player that will benefit from another season in the Alabama system after transferring in from JUCO. His athleticism is off the charts but still has room to grow in other areas of the game.

Burnett made his Alabama debut this season after tearing his ACL in the previous preseason. However, this season was injury-affected as well with a wrist injury suffered against Houston. Prior to the wrist injury, Burnett was in the starting lineup for the Crimson Tide. He was one of Alabama's best defenders, but struggled with his 3-point shooting down the final stretch of the season.

Alabama will likely add a few players from the transfer portal along with 2023 players Sam Walters, Mouhamed Dioubate and R.J. Johnson plus early-enrollee Davin Cosby, who got to watch the Crimson Tide's championship season from the sidelines which makes him excited for his turn next season.

"Coming in here with the No. 1 team in the country, regular season champs, tournament champs, just gave me a vision of what I want it to be in my college career and what I want to do next year," Cosby said in the locker room after Alabama's loss in the Sweet 16.

Senior walk-on Adam Cottrell is one of a few people to have a front-row seat to Oats' entire tenure at Alabama, being on the roster all four years. He's now experienced four SEC championships and two runs to the Sweet 16 and knows the program is in good hands as the Crimson Tide tries to move on from its sour exit out of the NCAA Tournament.

"I mean, you’ve seen how the culture’s changed in the four years already– we’re the overall No. 1 seed for the first time in school history, two-time SEC champions," Cottrell said. "So I think the future is bright and that’s a little bit of an understatement. Proud to say I was a part of Alabama basketball. Looking forward to them getting even better in the future.”

The Highs

The Lows

What's Next?

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