Where Alabama is Placed in Bracketology, KenPom Entering Mississippi State Matchup
![Jan 25, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Jarin Stevenson (15) drives the ball against the LSU Tigers during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images Jan 25, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward Jarin Stevenson (15) drives the ball against the LSU Tigers during the first half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_3784,h_2128,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/bama_central/01jjqp667bzczhj186yv.jpg)
We are officially less than seven weeks away from Selection Sunday for the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament!
The Alabama Crimson Tide remained at No. 4 in the most recent AP Poll, which helped head coach Nate Oats and company in the latest ESPN Bracketology with Joe Lunardi.
Lunardi ranked Alabama as the third-best team in the nation, placing the Tide as the No. 1 seed and team to beat in the Midwest region in Tuesday's bracket projection. It's Alabama's same placement as last week.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) January 28, 2025
Alabama is set to face No. 14 Mississippi State on Wednesday night and the Tide's bracketology placement can change pending the result. Lunardi updates the bracket every Tuesday and Friday.
Lunardi's Midwest Region:
- 1-seed Alabama vs. 16-seed William & Mary
- 8-seed Utah State vs. 9-seed West Virginia
- 5-seed Memphis vs. 12-seed Bradley
- 4-seed Illinois vs. 13-seed Samford
- 6-seed Ole Miss vs. 11-seed Ohio State/North Carolina
- 3-seed Kansas vs. 14-seed Northern Colorado
- 7-seed UCLA vs. 10-seed Oklahoma
- 2-seed Marquette vs. 15-seed UNC Asheville
Alabama's home wins over Vanderbilt and LSU this past week actually moved the Crimson Tide down one spot in the latest KenPom ratings. Like Bracketology, KenPom's rankings are fluid and can change very quickly. Here's a list of the top-25 paired with each team's offensive and defensive ranks among all of college basketball.
KenPom
- Auburn, 18-1, O-Rating: 1st, D-Rating: 11th
- Houston, 16-3, O-Rating: 10th, D-Rating: 2nd
- Duke, 18-2, O-Rating: 7th, D-Rating: 3rd
- Florida, 18-2, O-Rating: 2nd, D-Rating: 15th
- Iowa State, 17-3, O-Rating: 12th, D-Rating: 6th
- Tennessee, 17-3, O-Rating: 34th, D-Rating: 1st
- Kansas, 14-5, O-Rating: 31st, D-Rating: 4th
- Purdue, 16-5, O-Rating: 6th, D-Rating: 22nd
- Alabama, 17-3, O-Rating: 3rd, D-Rating: 43rd
- Illinois, 14-6, O-Rating: 24th, D-Rating: 12th
- Texas Tech, 15-4, O-Rating: 11th, D-Rating: 29th
- Marquette, 17-3, O-Rating: 26th, D-Rating: 13th
- Gonzaga, 15-6, O-Rating: 5th, D-Rating: 57th
- Arizona, 14-6, O-Rating: 15th, D-Rating: 23rd
- Wisconsin, 16-4, O-Rating: 8th, D-Rating: 49th
- Texas A&M, 15-5, O-Rating: 39th, D-Rating 8th
- Michigan State, 17-2, O-Rating: 21st, D-Rating: 17th
- St. John's, 17-3, O-Rating: 57th, D-Rating: 5th
- Michigan, 15-5, O-Rating: 16th, D-Rating: 30th
- Maryland, 16-5, O-Rating: 19th, D-Rating: 24th
- Ole Miss, 15-5, O-Rating: 44th, D-Rating: 10th
- Kentucky, 14-5, O-Rating: 4th, D-Rating: 81st
- Mississippi State, 16-4, O-Rating: 18th, D-Rating: 35th
- Saint Mary's, 18-3, O-Rating: 30th, D-Rating: 28th
- Louisville, 15-5, O-Rating: 22nd, D-Rating: 47th