No. 5 Alabama Men's Basketball 2025 SEC Preview

A glimpse at every Crimson Tide conference opponent after perhaps the best all-around start for teams in SEC history.

Hunter De Siver | Jan 4, 2025

Dec 22, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats walks onto the court before the game against the Kent State Golden Flashes at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images / Will McLelland-Imagn Images

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Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama men's basketball didn't have too much of a reason to worry about its conference opponents before the 2024-25 season tipped off.

The Crimson Tide was picked to win the SEC Championship with flying colors, point guard Mark Sears was named a Preseason All-American, two members of the frontcourt were placed on annual award watch lists and Alabama as a full team had the general expectations to not only reach the Final Four just one year after the program made its first-ever appearance, but to also win the NCAA Tournament.

The anticipation and expectations to cut the nets down not once but twice this season were also approved by the AP Top 25 and Coaches Polls, as Alabama was placed at No. 2 in each of them, the highest preseason ranking this program has ever seen.

Despite logging a 6-2 record midway through non-conference play, Alabama had been off to a slow start in the rankings for the first month of the season as it went from No. 2 to then No. 8 after Week 2, No. 9 after Week 3 and No. 10 after Week 4.

Week 2 featured Alabama's first road test of the season against then-No. 13 Purdue, but the Crimson Tide fell 87-78. But over the next couple of weeks, each of Alabama's games were in a neutral setting, as the Tide defeated Illinois in the C.M. Newton Classic in Birmingham and won 2-of-3 matchups in the inaugural Players Era Festival in Las Vegas.

The next two games were the final pieces of Alabama's seven-game gauntlet of a slate as the Tide took down North Carolina on the road and beat Creighton at home to advance to No. 7 and then to No. 6 in the AP Poll with a 5-2 record in that tough span. Following the gauntlet, the Tide finished its non-conference slate with three more wins to possess an 11-2 record and the No. 5 spot in the AP Poll heading into the new year.

Alabama had a plethora of impressive wins against non-conference opponents, but an argument can be made that the 94-78 beatdown over the Tar Heels was the most admirable as the Tide played a practically perfect game on both sides of the court from start to finish. This game was a part of the annual SEC/ACC Challenge, and while Alabama earned a point for the conference, the rest of the Southeastern Conference made a major statement.

For quite some time, the SEC has been known as THE football conference and the national champions over the past couple of decades are reflective of that. Under that same criteria, basketball has belonged to the ACC, Big 12 and Big East.

The SEC logged a 14-2 record in this year's SEC/ACC Challenge. FOURTEEN WINS and TWO LOSSES against perhaps the best college basketball conference of this generation. In other words, Alabama, who received all of this preseason recognition on a national level, now had several legit candidates to knock them off the top of the southeastern mountain.

Some may think "Okay sure, the SEC had a good couple of days in late November, but their luck would end there and just be known as a football conference." You'd be very wrong to think that as it only made every SEC team stronger over the course of the next month.

By Dec. 10, the SEC had a combined overall record of 128-19 against non-conference opponents. In fact, the SEC won roughly 70 straight games with the streak ending on Dec. 14 when LSU lost to SMU. Only Kentucky and Missouri have lost a game since then.

Some may think "But wait, a large majority of those wins for the SEC probably came against mid-major teams." You'd be wrong to think that, as of Dec. 18, the SEC logged a combined 58-17 record against power conferences. The Big Ten had the second-best record at 24-22 while every other conference was under .500––much in part due to the 16 teams in the "football conference."

If these numbers don't convince you that the SEC is this year's conference to beat, here are some more as of Dec. 31 that add to the already long list.

The numbers for SEC basketball in its 208 non-conference games this season:

• 185-23 overall record
• 88.9% winning percentage
• 28-19 in Q1 games
• 19-3 in Q2 games
• 45-14 in neutral court games
• 21-8 vs. AP top 25 (most wins ever)
• 59-19 vs. ACC/B10/B12/Big…
— Blake Lovell (@theblakelovell) December 31, 2024

So, after all this information, let's take a quick glimpse at the incredible starts of every individual SEC opponent that Alabama will face this season along with their respective record after non-conference play and the date they'll meet the Crimson Tide.

No. 12 Oklahoma (13-0): Home on Jan. 4

Under the guidance of fourth-year head coach Porter Moser, the Sooners finished non-conference play with an undefeated record and need just eight wins in their first year of SEC play to beat their record from last season. Oklahoma is led by three scorers who are all under 6-foot-7 but consistently draw fouls inside. Jeremiah Fears leads the team in points per game with 18.1, but Jalon Moore and Duke Miles' ability to be efficient from downtown has been pivotal when spacing the floor.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: Beat No. 24 Arizona (82-77) and No. 24 Michigan (87-86)
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): fourth in free-throw percentage (81.9), seventh in opponent three-point percentage (27.1), 28th in steals (9.5)

South Carolina (10-3): Away on Jan. 8

Through the 13 games, the Gamecocks seem to be feeding off the breakout season that was last year for head coach Lamont Paris and company. This season, South Carolina is led by forward Collin Murray-Boyles, who leads the conference with a 64.6 shooting percentage from the field on 16.6 points per game. The Gamecocks have a couple of other impact players, including forward Nick Pringle, who played at Alabama in the past two seasons, helping the Tide reach its first Final Four in program history.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: Beat No. 25 Clemson (91-88 OT); lost to No. 16 Indiana (87-71), and No. 22 Xavier (75-66).
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): Eighth in opponent three-point attempts (17.8), 13th in opponent three-pointers made, 16th in free-throw attempts (25.5).

No. 13 Texas A&M (11-2): Away on Jan. 11

Aggies head coach Buzz Williams is off to a hot start, as his team needs just 10 wins in conference play to match last season's total. And like last year, Texas A&M is once again led by guard Wade Taylor IV, who's averaging 15.9 points and five assists in 30.8 minutes per contest. Taylor has some help though as transfer guard Zhuric Phelps is scoring 12.9 points per game but is also averaging a stellar 2.6 steals each night.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: Beat No. 21 Ohio State (78-64), No. 21 Creighton (77-73) and No. 11 Purdue (70-66).
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): First in offensive rebounds (17.1), eighth in total rebounds (42.9) 14th in opponent field goal percentage (38), 19th in points allowed per game (62.6).

No. 24 Ole Miss (11-2): Home on Jan. 14

Rebels head coach Chris Beard is truly embracing the small-ball play style as each of his top four scorers are under 6-foot-6. Despite the team size, opponents have struggled to score inside the paint and these quick playmakers are fast swipers of the basketball to create steals. Guard Sean Pedulla leads the way on both ends with 2.5 steals per game and 14.7 points per game on 45.6 percent from the field and a very efficient 40.8 percent from long range.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: Lost to No. 13 Purdue (80-78).
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): 13th in steals (10.2) and opponent two-point attempts (29), 24th in opponent two-pointers made (14.3) and 25th in opponent field goal attempts (53.7).

No. 10 Kentucky (11-2): Away on Jan. 18; Home on Feb. 22

No John Calipari, no problem so far for the Wildcats as first-year head coach Mark Pope has Kentucky off to a great start with two top-10 wins in non-conference play. Kentucky lost multiple players to the transfer portal following Calipari's surprising move to Arkansas in the offseason, but it hasn't seemed to fluster the Wildcats so far as they've been one of the best offensive teams in the country. Incoming transfer guards Otega Oweh and Lamont Butler (team-high in assists with 4.1 per game) lead the pack with 29.2 points per contest with each grabbing 1.5 steals as well.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: Beat No. 6 Duke (77-72) and No. 7 Gonzaga (90-89 OT).
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): Third in points (89) and defensive rebounds (30.7), ninth in total rebounds (42.3) and field goals made (31.5), 10th in assists (18.7) and opponent three-point percentage (27.4), 15th in field goals attempted (65.3).

Vanderbilt (12-1): Home on Jan. 21

After moving on from Jerry Stackhouse after a 9-23 record last season, first-year Commodores head coach Mark Byington has immediately turned Vanderbilt around as its already surpassed last year's win total. Much of the turnaround has stemmed from the success on the offensive end of the court as guard Jason Edwards easily leads the Commodores in scoring with 18.8 points per contest. That said, Byington seems to have fresh legs on the floor at all times as nine players are averaging 15.5 minutes each game and seven of which are seeing at least 20 minutes of action.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: None.
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): Fourth in steals (10.8), eighth in two-point percentage (60.4) and 14th in points (86.5).

LSU (11-2): Home on Jan. 25

Although the Tigers haven't come face-to-face with a ranked team just yet, head coach Matt McMahon has his team in a very good spot due to a solid job on both ends of the floor. LSU has five players averaging double-digit points with incoming transfer guard Camryn Carter scoring 16.9 per night on an incredible 43 percent from deep in 32.2 minutes of action. Everyone else on the team is on the floor for under 28 minutes per game except for fellow incoming transfer guard Dji Bailey, who is one of the top-five scorers.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: None.
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): 10th in opponent field goal percentage (37.7) and opponent two-point percentage (42.6), 12th in blocks (5.7), 13th in defensive rebounds (29.1), 17th in total rebounds (41.7).

No. 17 Mississippi State (12-1): Away on Jan. 29; Home on Feb. 25

Bulldogs' Josh Hubbard was not only one of the best freshmen in the SEC last season, but one of the top guards as well due to his scoring ability. This year seems to be no different as he leads Mississippi State with 17.5 points per game on 42.6 percent from the field and 38 percent from deep. He's averaging seven more points than the team's runner-up and that's also roughly the same range for his team-high 31.1 minutes per night.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: Beat No. 18 Pittsburgh (90-57) and No. 21 Memphis (79-66).
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): Sixth in steals (10.4), 22nd in field goals attempted (64.8) 23rd in opponent steals (5.2).

Georgia (12-1): Home on Feb. 1

Bulldogs head coach Michael White and company rolled in non-conference play on offense and defense as they're top-50 in the country in points per game and points allowed per game. Seven players are averaging at least 20 minutes of action and five of them are scoring double figures. 6-foot-11 freshman forward Asa Newell stands out among the Bulldogs though, as he leads them with 15.5 points per game on a very efficient 59 percent shooting from the field and 6.6 rebounds per game (3.3 offensive).

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: Lost to No. 15 Marquette (80-69); beat No. 22 St. John's (66-63).
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): Second in opponent defensive rebounds (18.8), fifth in blocks (6), eighth in opponent total rebounds (29.1), 12th in field goal percentage 16th in opponent three-point percentage (28), 20th in two-point percentage (59.6), 25th in opponent field goal percentage (38.5).

No. 23 Arkansas (11-2): Away on Feb. 8

As expected, the aforementioned John Calipari has quickly turned the Razorbacks around in his first season, as the program needs just six victories to beat last season's win total. Part of why Calipari's team is shining is due to multiple players and recruits following him to Arkansas in the offseason. This checks out for junior transfer guard Adou Thiero, who leads the team in points (17.8) and rebounds (5.9), and McDonald's All-American freshman guard Boogie Fland, who is also scoring an impressive 15.9 points per contest.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: Lost to No. 8 Baylor (72-67); Beat No. 14 Michigan (89-87).
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): fourth in field goal percentage (51.5), 12th in blocks (5.7), 13th in two-point percentage (60), 14th in opponent free throws made (9.7), 15th in opponent free throws attempted (14.1), 16th in two-pointers made (22.8) and 18th in field goals made (30.9).

Texas (11-2): Away on Feb. 11

Longhorns head coach Rodney Terry is getting it done on both ends in Year 2 as Texas is 29th in the country in points per game and 14th in points allowed heading into their first-ever season of SEC play. The Longhorns have seven players averaging at least 22 minutes of action, and freshman guard Tre Johnson leads the way with 30.9 minutes. The extra time on the floor has helped him achieve the conference-lead in points per game with 19.7 on 49.1 percent from the field and an outstanding 44.6 percent from behind the arc.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: Lost to No. 25 UConn (76-65).
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): First in field goal percentage (51.7), third in three-point percentage (41.7) and opponent free-throw percentage (61.8), 10th in opponent steals per game (4.9), 13th in opponent two-point percentage (42.9), 14th in points allowed (62).

No. 2 Auburn (12-1): Home on Feb. 15; Away on March 8

Once again, the Iron Bowl will be a must-see event, and it very well could still be a top-5 matchup as it is now. Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl has launched an incredible resumé for Auburn through non-conference play and Preseason All-American forward Johni Broome is also a big reason for the team's success. In addition to Broome's 18.2 points per game, he leads the entire SEC in total rebounds (11.5) and blocks (2.6) per game. He also has a supporting cast with roughly five other double-digit scorers.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: Beat No. 4 Houston (74-69), No. 5 Iowa State (83-81) and No. 12 North Carolina (85-72); Lost to No. 9 Duke (84-78).
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): Second in field goals (32.1), third in blocks (6.5), fourth in assists (19.4), fifth in points (88.3) and opponent blocks (1.8), sixth in two-point percentage (61.3), seventh in opponent two-point percentage (42), 10th in field goal percentage (50.8), 17th in opponent three-point attempts (18.5).

Missouri (11-2): Away on Feb. 19

It appears as though the Tigers have shown major improvement from last season as they've already surpassed last season's win total. Despite going winless in conference play in the 2023-24 season, head coach Dennis Gates has brought in highly touted recruiting and transfer classes in the offseason. It's resulted in a high-powered offense that has four players scoring in the double-digits on a nightly basis, including Duke transfer forward Mark Mitchell, who leads Mizzou with 13.8 points per game.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: Beat No. 1 Kansas (76-67).
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): First in free throws made (21.2), second in free-throw attempts (29.2), seventh in two-point percentage (60.5), eighth in field goal percentage (50.9), ninth in steals (10.3) and 11th in points (87.3).

No. 1 Tennessee (13-0): Away on March 1

Simply put, the Volunteers are the team to beat. Head coach Rick Barnes and company are leading a brigade that's been practically impossible to consistently score on. Transfer guard Chaz Lanier has a team-high 19.6 points per game on 45 percent from the field and 45.9 percent from downtown, but this is in due part to playmaking guard Zakai Zeigler's SEC-leading 8.1 assists per game. On the other side, Tennessee is collectively locking opponents down and eliminating any chance of momentum.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: Beat No. 13 Baylor (77-62).
Standout Stats Among Nation (Per Game): First in opponent three-point percentage (24.6), second in points allowed (56.2) and opponent field goal percentage (34.7), third in opponent defensive rebounds (19) and fourth in opponent field goals made (19.7).

No. 6 Florida (13-0): Home on March 5

The Gators have chomped away each of their opponents in non-conference play as head coach Todd Golden has his team in the top-25 in both scoring offense and scoring defense. Four players are scoring 10-plus points on any given night, but the guard trio of Walter Clayton Jr., Alijah Martin and Will Richard are each averaging around 30 minutes apiece. Forward Alex Condon is the fourth member of the group and his 7.5 total rebounds per game (3.3 offensive) have helped Florida lead the nation in that category.

Ranked Non-Conference Matchups: None.
Standout Stats Among Nation: First in total rebounds (45.7), fourth in opponent three-point percentage (26.6), sixth in defensive rebounds (30.4) and opponent field goal percentage (36.9), seventh in offensive rebounds (15.3), ninth in field goal attempts (66.2) 13th in field goals made (31.3) and points (87.4), 24th in points allowed (63.5) and 25th in blocks (5.4).

Nate Oats' List of Needed Improvements

Simply put, Alabama basketball has its hands full for the next 18 games. The Crimson Tide will need a lot to go right to regain its preseason status as the best team in the SEC, and Oats revealed the most important parts of the game that his team needs to perform better in order to make this happen during Friday's press conference.

“Obviously, the biggest room for improvement is on the defensive side of the ball. Our defense isn’t where it needs to be. I think guys taking some individual pride in just their defense and keeping guys out of the lane. I think our rim protection could stand to get a little bit better still. We need Cliff [Omoruyi] and Grant [Nelson] and Aiden [Sherrell] to do a better job there.

"On the offensive side of the ball, our three-point percentage is the biggest thing that jumps out. We’ve got to find better threes. We’ve gotta the right guys taking more of the threes.

“Our turnover rate came back down last game, but it had been an issue up until that.

“We’ve gotta take care of the ball, get better threes from the correct shooters and then when we miss them, we’ve gotta do a good job on the O-boards. We can still win games when we don’t shoot it great from three by getting on the offensive glass. We’ve gotta continue to emphasize that.”

No. 5 Alabama will face No. 12 Oklahoma at home for the SEC opener on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network.