Alabama men’s basketball took a noticeable tumble in the latest rankings, sliding to No. 23 in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll after a hard-fought 79-73 loss to Tennessee over the weekend. It’s a six-spot drop for the Crimson Tide, who now sit at 13-6 on the season and are looking to rebound with a pair of key matchups on the horizon.
The loss to Tennessee didn’t just shake up Alabama’s standing-it also marked a historic return for Charles Bediako. After three years in the G League, Bediako suited up for Alabama thanks to a temporary restraining order granted by a Tuscaloosa judge, making him the first player in college basketball history to play collegiately, sign an NBA contract, spend multiple years in the G League, and then return to the NCAA ranks. That’s uncharted territory, and it added an extra layer of intrigue to an already intense SEC showdown.
While the Vols came out on top, they remain just outside the Top 25 in both polls-first out in the AP and second out in the Coaches Poll. But make no mistake: they’re knocking on the door, and a few more wins like this could push them into the rankings.
Alabama, meanwhile, will need to regroup quickly. They’ve got Missouri coming up on Tuesday, followed by a ranked battle against No.
21 Florida on Sunday. That Florida game looms large-not just for the standings, but for momentum as the SEC race heats up.
Elsewhere in the rankings, Purdue took the biggest hit of the week, dropping eight spots in both polls after back-to-back losses to UCLA and Illinois. That kind of slide underscores just how volatile the college basketball landscape is right now-one bad week can send even top-tier teams tumbling.
Here’s a look at the latest rankings as of January 26:
Coaches Poll Top 25: 1.
Arizona
2.
Michigan
3.
UConn
4.
Duke
5.
Nebraska
6.
Gonzaga
7.
Houston
8.
Michigan State
9.
Iowa State
10.
Illinois
11.
Texas Tech
12.
Purdue
13.
BYU
14.
Kansas
15.
Vanderbilt
16.
Arkansas
17.
Virginia
18.
North Carolina
19.
Clemson
20.
Louisville
21.
Florida
22.
Saint Louis
23.
Alabama
24.
St. John’s
- Miami (Ohio) and Iowa (tie)
AP Top 25: 1.
Arizona
2.
UConn
3.
Michigan
4.
Duke
5.
Nebraska
6.
Gonzaga
7.
Michigan State
8.
Iowa State
9.
Illinois
10.
Houston
11.
Texas Tech
12.
Purdue
13.
BYU
14.
Kansas
15.
Arkansas
16.
North Carolina
17.
Virginia
18.
Vanderbilt
19.
Florida
20.
Louisville
21.
Saint Louis
22.
Clemson
23.
Alabama
24.
Miami (Ohio)
25.
St. John’s
For Alabama, the path forward is clear: regroup, refocus, and get back to doing what they do best-pushing the pace, sharing the ball, and locking in defensively. The SEC isn’t going to wait for anyone, and with Florida looming, the Tide will need to bring their A-game if they want to climb back up the ladder.