After a high-stakes weekend in Las Vegas, Alabama basketball heads home with a mixed bag of results - and a noticeable dip in the rankings to show for it.
The Crimson Tide showed flashes of elite potential, delivering two of the strongest performances of the Nate Oats era with convincing wins over UNLV and Maryland. But the trip didn’t start the way they hoped. A 95-85 loss to Gonzaga in the opening round of the Players Era Festival derailed Alabama’s shot at the tournament title and carried more weight in the national conversation than the wins that followed.
That early stumble proved costly in the polls. Alabama, previously ranked No. 9, slid three spots to No. 12 in the latest USA Today Coaches Poll.
Gonzaga, the team that handed them the loss, moved up one place to No. 11 despite falling to No. 2 Michigan in the championship game.
The Crimson Tide’s resume remains solid, but not spotless. At 5-2, Alabama has already picked up a pair of Quad 1 wins - beating St.
John’s and Illinois - and those victories are helping to buoy their national profile. Still, the losses to Gonzaga and Purdue are tough to ignore.
When the first NET rankings of the 2025-26 season dropped on Dec. 1, Alabama landed at No.
- That’s not a bad place to be this early, especially with a 2-2 record in Quad 1 games - the second-best mark in the country behind Michigan’s 3-0.
The good news? Alabama has a chance to reset this week.
With Clemson and UTSA on the schedule, the Tide won’t face a ranked opponent, giving them an opportunity to fine-tune things before the next big test. It’s a chance to build momentum, recalibrate, and work out some of the wrinkles that showed up against the nation’s top-tier teams.
Here’s where things stand in the Week 5 Coaches Poll:
- No. 1 Purdue (7-0) holds steady at the top with 21 first-place votes, continuing their dominant early-season run.
- No. 2 Michigan (7-0) makes a big leap, jumping four spots after their win over Gonzaga and remaining unbeaten.
- No. 3 Arizona (7-0) and **No.
4 Duke (8-0)** round out the top four, both still undefeated and looking sharp.
- **No.
5 UConn (6-1)** and No. 6 Louisville (7-0) stay in the mix, while **No.
7 Houston (7-1)** takes a hit after a loss.
- **No.
8 Michigan State (7-0)** and No. 9 Iowa State (7-0) are climbing fast, each moving up four spots.
- No. 10 BYU (6-1) continues its steady rise with another strong showing.
Alabama’s drop to No. 12 puts them just behind Gonzaga and ahead of a surging Tennessee (No. 13) and Florida (No. 14), the latter slipping six spots after a tough week. Illinois (No. 15), one of Alabama’s key wins, also dipped slightly.
Elsewhere, Vanderbilt (No. 16) is this week’s big mover, jumping seven spots after an 8-0 start. Kansas (No. 21) and Iowa (No. 25) both re-enter the rankings, while UCLA and NC State fall out.
Looking at the broader picture, Alabama’s early schedule has been no joke. They’ve already faced two top-15 teams and come away with valuable experience - and a clearer picture of where they stand. The offense has shown it can score with anyone, but the defensive consistency will need to tighten up if the Tide want to stay in the top tier come March.
For now, though, it’s about regrouping, taking care of business against unranked opponents, and getting back to the kind of basketball that powered those big wins in Vegas. The ceiling for this team remains high - and the next few weeks will be key in determining just how far they can climb.