Alabama Basketball Predicted to Win SEC Championship

Mark Sears and Grant Nelson are featured on the Preseason All-SEC teams.

Mar 28, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats talks with forward Grant Nelson (2) and guard Mark Sears (1) in a press conference after the game against the North Carolina Tar Heels. and in the semifinals of the West Regional of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Just a couple of hours after Alabama men's basketball was placed at No. 2 in the Preseason AP Poll, its highest ranking in program history, the media predicted the Crimson Tide to win the SEC Championship.

Predicted Order of Finish

1. Alabama
2. Auburn
3. Tennessee
4. Arkansas
5. Texas A&M
6. Florida
7. Texas
8. Kentucky
9. Ole Miss
10. Mississippi State
11. South Carolina
12. Georgia
13. Missouri
14. LSU
15. Oklahoma
16. Vanderbilt

Additionally, Alabama point guard Mark Sears was predicted as the preseason's SEC Player of the Year. Sears, a 2023-24 All-SEC First Team member earned that status once again on Monday, as the preseason 2024-25 best-five also included Auburn’s Johni Broome, Florida's Walter Clayton Jr., Tennessee’s Zakai Zeigler, and Texas A&M’s Wade Taylor IV.

Crimson Tide forward Grant Nelson landed a spot on the preseason All-SEC Second Team. The group also included Arkansas’ Jonas Aidoo, Arkansas’ Johnell Davis, Ole Miss’ Matthew Murrell, and Mississippi State’s Josh Hubbard.

Auburn’s Chad Baker-Mazara, Florida’s Alex Condon, Kentucky’s Jaxson Robinson, South Carolina’s Collin Murray-Boyles and Texas’ Tramon Mark were selected to the third team.

The 2024-25 campaign begins Monday, November 4, with conference play set to begin Saturday, January 4. The 2025 SEC Tournament will be March 12-16 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

A strong argument can be made that this is the most anticipated season in the history of Tide Hoops. Head coach Nate Oats and his staff, several returning players, including Sears and Nelson, multiple experienced transfers and highly touted incoming freshmen all give Alabama realistic expectations to get two more wins than last season's NCAA Tournament to claim the school's first-ever National Title.