re: Alabama Basketball Megathread | 26-7 (16-2)

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Both 11 seed games

Think Drake has a decent chance at a deep run if they look good tonight

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Kenny Smith picked Tennessee...

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Do we know who is announcing our game?

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Announcers: Brian Anderson (play-by-play), Jim Jackson (analyst), Allie LaForce (reporter)

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Untenable environment stemming from Brannens approach and relationship with players on and off the court"

"Manipulation and exclusion"

"Players feeling lied to or misled about PT or role on the team"

"Reports of Brannens disparaging players behind theyr their backs to other teamates, at times doubting whether certain players had the necessary ability or makeup to survive the program"

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Honestly, sounds like a program full of babies to me.

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Do we know who is announcing our game?

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4 p.m. (15) Iona vs. (2) Alabama
Andrew Catalon / Steve Lappas // AJ Ross TBS

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A few of the things do sounds childish. But not the ones I quoted. To me, that sounds like terrible leadership. You don't take about guys behind their backs to other players. He sounds unprofessional to me. It sounds like similar things Urban did at Florida, which led to resentment amongst players, and terrible chemistry. Notice you never hear any of those complaints about Saban?

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Thanks. He was always a really nice guy to me so I was a bit surprised to see so much turmoil in his program.

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Why history says Alabama won't reach the Final Four

If you're looking for a high seed to bounce before we get too deep into the madness, there is some historical data that points in the direction of a particular team: No. 2 seed Alabama.

Let's be clear, this note has nothing to do with Nate Oats or the talented squad he coaches; the Crimson Tide is dangerous and among the most fun-to-watch teams in this year's Big Dance. This is simply about how they were perceived entering the season.

Alabama is the only team in this year's tournament field to be a top-two seed and reside in the top 10 of the AP poll after entering the season unranked.

None of the 32 teams to fit this profile in the modern tournament era have reached the Final Four, and 56% of them didn't survive the first two rounds. Virginia's first-round loss to 16th-seeded UMBC in 2018 came under these circumstances, as the most memorable example.

Specifically, the struggles of No. 2 seeds in this category are quite alarming, as exactly two-thirds of them (14 of 21) didn't make it out of the first weekend.

Last year, Dayton and San Diego State would have met this criteria, but sadly, we'll never know how things would have played out.

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The past few NCAA tournaments have been interesting for the SEC. In 2017, despite just five bids, a conference-record-tying three reached the Elite Eight. In 2018, it received a conference-record eight bids, but only two made the Sweet 16 and none made the Elite Eight. Then in 2019, the SEC turned seven bids into four Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights and a No. 5 seed (Auburn) reached the Final Four. While the conference has had at least one team in 22 of the past 28 Elite Eights, it hasn't had a team reach the title game in seven years and it's been nine years since the league's most recent championship. Will that change this year? Alabama, a No. 2 seed, will bear most of the weight of expectation along those lines, although Arkansas' late-season surge could make it a popular pick from outside of the top two seed lines.

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The Crimson Tide are a No. 2 seed, which ties for their highest seed ever, done two previous times. In 1987, they were knocked off in the Sweet 16 by Rick Pitino's sixth-seeded Providence Friars, who were led by standout guard Billy Donovan and wound up reaching the Final Four. In 2002, Bama was upset in the second round by Antonio Gates, Trevor Huffman and No. 10 seed Kent State, whose Cinderella run took them to the Elite Eight.

Will this Alabama team make school history? It has never reached the Final Four and its only Elite Eight appearance came 17 years ago as a No. 8 seed under Mark Gottfried.

Nate Oats' teams at Buffalo won first-round games in each of the past two tournaments as a No. 6 and 13 seed. Needless to say, expectations are higher this time around.

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You should've said the crew that Avery Johnson is on, just to see who started freaking out about it.

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