Alabama Climbs Back Into AP Top 25, Eyes Key SEC Clash with Arkansas
After a two-week hiatus from the national spotlight, Alabama men’s basketball is back in the AP Top 25, landing at No. 25 heading into a pivotal week in SEC play. The Crimson Tide has quietly strung together four straight wins, and now they’ll welcome No. 20 Arkansas to Coleman Coliseum on Wednesday night in a matchup with major implications for the conference tournament picture.
But while Alabama reclaims its AP ranking, the coaches poll still has the Tide on the outside looking in. They were the top vote-getter among unranked teams, signaling that they're knocking on the door. Arkansas, meanwhile, climbed to No. 17 in the coaches poll, continuing its strong push in the back half of the season.
SEC Tournament Stakes Are Rising
This mid-February showdown is about more than just bragging rights or rankings-it’s about positioning. With the SEC Tournament just a few weeks away, both teams are angling for a top-four finish in the standings, which comes with a coveted double-bye.
Arkansas enters the week in second place in the SEC at 9-4. Alabama is part of a crowded logjam at 8-4, tied with Vanderbilt, Kentucky, and Tennessee.
The Tide has already dropped games to Vanderbilt and Tennessee, split with Kentucky, and fell to league-leader Florida (10-2) in their lone meeting. So every remaining game carries weight.
“We're gonna have to rattle off some more wins here, but we're not far off,” head coach Nate Oats said after Saturday’s win over South Carolina. “Florida is in first place all by themselves now.
They look good. We don’t get them again.
In order to win the league, you’ve got to get some help. But right now that hasn’t been our focus.
We haven’t talked about league standings in the last two weeks since that Florida loss. We just talked about getting better.”
And that’s exactly what Alabama has done. Winners of four straight, the Tide is trending in the right direction, and Wednesday’s test against Arkansas will be a measuring stick for how far they’ve come-and how far they still need to go.
Scouting the Razorbacks
Arkansas has won six of its last seven and currently sits at No. 18 in the NCAA’s NET rankings. Alabama isn’t far behind at No.
- Both teams are in the thick of the NCAA tournament conversation, with CBS Sports projecting them as No. 5 seeds.
ESPN gives Alabama a slight edge, projecting the Tide as a No. 4 seed.
“They’re good,” Oats said of Arkansas. “Great guard play.
Got pros on their team. Athletic bigs.
They’ll be the best team we’ve seen since Florida, for sure. We’re gonna have to really be ready to go.”
The Razorbacks bring a balanced attack with high-level talent in the backcourt and frontcourt. Their guards can create off the dribble and shoot it, and their bigs bring size and mobility-something that has given Alabama trouble in past matchups.
Oats emphasized the importance of preparation: “Get locked in here this week, make sure the scouting report is sharp. Get the guys rested, and then have great preparation Monday and Tuesday with the guys.”
Looking Ahead
After Wednesday’s clash, Alabama will travel to LSU on Saturday, just hours after the NCAA Tournament selection committee reveals its current top 16 seeds. That announcement could offer a clearer picture of where the Tide stands nationally as March approaches.
But before any bracketology buzz, Alabama has business to handle in the SEC. The path to a double-bye in the conference tournament is narrow, and with Arkansas being the only currently ranked opponent left on Alabama’s regular-season schedule, this week presents a golden opportunity.
Here’s how the SEC power rankings shake out this week, as voted on by beat writers:
- Florida (14 first-place votes)
- Arkansas
- Vanderbilt (+1)
T-4. Kentucky (-1)
T-4. Tennessee (+1)
- Alabama (+1)
- Texas (+3)
- Texas A&M (-2)
- Auburn (-1)
- Missouri (+1)
- Georgia (-2)
- Oklahoma (+3)
- Mississippi State (+1)
- Ole Miss (-2)
- LSU (-2)
- South Carolina
Alabama may be sixth in the poll, but they’re very much in the hunt. The next few games will determine whether this recent surge is the start of something special-or just a flash in the pan. Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa will tell us a lot.