Windham Wrap-up: Tough Non-Conference Schedule Paying Off for Alabama Basketball

As evidenced by the thousands of fans that showed up for a 9 p.m. tip during the holidays and the 8-1 record, tough scheduling has been a success for Alabama so far.

It's just becoming old hat for Alabama at this point. 

Win a big game against a top-15 opponent and one of last season's Final Four teams. Last weekend, the Crimson Tide knocked off Gonzaga in Seattle, and this past Saturday, they beat Houston in Coleman Coliseum.

I say that in jest, but Alabama basketball scheduled big in the offseason with a daunting non-conference schedule, and through nine games it is paying off in multiple ways. 

First, it's giving the team good experience before conference play and getting them ready even for the postseason. Playing these types of opponents can only have a positive impact on your team down the line when it comes to crunch time in big games and your players already have the experience in those types of games and environments. 

And not only are they getting good experience, they're coming away with wins. 

Alabama sits at 8-1 with several quality wins already on the resumé. The Crimson Tide is up to No. 6 in the AP Poll and is No. 11 in the NET rankings. There's obviously still a lot of season left to go, but the non-conference slate has already set Alabama up for a good seed in the NCAA tournament. 

Lastly, it's paying off for the fans. In the offseason, Alabama sold more season tickets than ever before, and all those fans are being rewarded with quality games to watch at home. 

Even during Christmas break for students and with a late 9 p.m. tip, over 10,000 fans showed up and were loud inside Coleman Coliseum for the matchup with Houston.

It's not quite done yet though. The Crimson Tide still has some work to do in the non-conference. Of course there is the previously mentioned date with reigning national champion Baylor on Jan. 29 as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge, but there are still three games non-SEC games left in December. 

Alabama will travel to Memphis on Tuesday to take on a Tigers team that has struggled as of late but has the most talented group of freshman in the country. There will be one last home non-conference game against Jacksonville State on Saturday.

And then the last game in the non-conference portion of the schedule is becoming bigger and bigger. Alabama will face undefeated and No. 23 Colorado State on Dec. 21 in the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham.

It will be important for the Crimson Tide to finish strong in the non-conference, but the team has answered the call and set themselves up in a good position nine games in.