By just about every advanced metric out there, Alabama basketball is firmly a Top 25 team. Whether you're checking KenPom (No.
18), Bart Torvik (No. 19), or Evan Miya (No. 21), the analytics all tell the same story: this is a team playing high-level basketball. But when it comes to the human polls?
The picture gets a little murkier.
After a blowout loss at Florida two weeks ago, Alabama tumbled out of both the AP and Coaches Top 25 polls. And despite reeling off four straight wins since then-against Texas A&M, Auburn, Ole Miss, and South Carolina-they’ve had a hard time climbing back into the national conversation. As of now, they’ve only just cracked the AP Poll again, sliding in at No. 25, and remain unranked in the Coaches Poll.
So what gives?
Part of the answer might lie in the off-court turbulence surrounding Charles Bediako. Alabama played the big man for five games while he was under a temporary restraining order that allowed him to suit up despite an ongoing eligibility battle with the NCAA.
Ultimately, Bediako lost his preliminary injunction, and the ruling rendered him ineligible once again. During that five-game stretch, Alabama went 3-2.
Since the ruling, they’ve gone 2-0.
But while the legal situation has been resolved, the fallout appears to be lingering. Alabama’s public perception took a hit during the Bediako saga, and fair or not, that may still be influencing how voters view the Crimson Tide. The numbers say one thing, but the rankings tell another story-a story shaped by more than just basketball.
Still, when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, the analytics are speaking louder. Joe Lunardi currently has Alabama projected as a 4-seed, a strong position heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
But there’s a quiet concern that the selection committee might not be as forgiving as the data. A one-line drop in seeding or a tougher-than-expected draw wouldn’t be out of the question.
Not because of performance, but because of perception.
For Nate Oats and his squad, the path forward is simple: keep winning and leave no doubt. They can’t control the polls or the bracket, but they can control what happens on the court.
And with a marquee matchup against No. 20 Arkansas coming up on Wednesday-without Bediako-that’s a golden opportunity to make another loud statement.
This team is playing like a Top 25 program, and the numbers back it up. Now, it’s about making sure the rest of the country sees it too.