Where Alabama is Placed in Bracketology, KenPom Entering Mississippi State Matchup

Where the Crimson Tide stands less than seven weeks from Selection Sunday for the 2025 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.
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 / Will McLelland-Imagn Images
In this story:

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.

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

  1. Auburn, 18-1, O-Rating: 1st, D-Rating: 11th
  2. Houston, 16-3, O-Rating: 10th, D-Rating: 2nd
  3. Duke, 18-2, O-Rating: 7th, D-Rating: 3rd
  4. Florida, 18-2, O-Rating: 2nd, D-Rating: 15th
  5. Iowa State, 17-3, O-Rating: 12th, D-Rating: 6th
  6. Tennessee, 17-3, O-Rating: 34th, D-Rating: 1st
  7. Kansas, 14-5, O-Rating: 31st, D-Rating: 4th
  8. Purdue, 16-5, O-Rating: 6th, D-Rating: 22nd
  9. Alabama, 17-3, O-Rating: 3rd, D-Rating: 43rd
  10. Illinois, 14-6, O-Rating: 24th, D-Rating: 12th
  11. Texas Tech, 15-4, O-Rating: 11th, D-Rating: 29th
  12. Marquette, 17-3, O-Rating: 26th, D-Rating: 13th
  13. Gonzaga, 15-6, O-Rating: 5th, D-Rating: 57th
  14. Arizona, 14-6, O-Rating: 15th, D-Rating: 23rd
  15. Wisconsin, 16-4, O-Rating: 8th, D-Rating: 49th
  16. Texas A&M, 15-5, O-Rating: 39th, D-Rating 8th
  17. Michigan State, 17-2, O-Rating: 21st, D-Rating: 17th
  18. St. John's, 17-3, O-Rating: 57th, D-Rating: 5th
  19. Michigan, 15-5, O-Rating: 16th, D-Rating: 30th
  20. Maryland, 16-5, O-Rating: 19th, D-Rating: 24th
  21. Ole Miss, 15-5, O-Rating: 44th, D-Rating: 10th
  22. Kentucky, 14-5, O-Rating: 4th, D-Rating: 81st
  23. Mississippi State, 16-4, O-Rating: 18th, D-Rating: 35th
  24. Saint Mary's, 18-3, O-Rating: 30th, D-Rating: 28th
  25. Louisville, 15-5, O-Rating: 22nd, D-Rating: 47th

Read More: How to Watch: No. 4 Alabama Basketball at No. 14 Mississippi State

Nate Oats Provides Update on Derrion Reid Ahead of Mississippi State Matchup

Nate Oats: Sears Had Best Two Consecutive Days of Practice 'Since He's Been Here'


Published
Hunter De Siver
HUNTER DE SIVER

Hunter De Siver is the lead basketball writer for BamaCentral and has covered Crimson Tide football since 2024. He previously distributed stories about the NFL and NBA for On SI and was a staff writer for Missouri Tigers On SI and Cowbell Corner. Before that, Hunter generated articles highlighting Crimson Tide products in the NFL and NBA for BamaCentral as an intern in 2022 and 2023. Hunter is a graduate from the University of Alabama, earning a degree in sports media in 2023