While Alabama has primarily been known as a football school for decades, this may be the year that starts to shift.
The football team has two regular losses in their first season under head coach Kalen DeBoer. A third would almost certainly snuff out Alabama’s SEC Championship or College Football Playoff hopes.
However, the Alabama Crimson Tide men’s basketball program is thriving. They were ranked second in the preseason AP Top 25, and return the bulk of a team that went to the Final Four last season before losing to eventual national champion UConn.
The Tide are the team to beat in the SEC this season and perhaps across the country, and other SEC coaches are taking note.
Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl is entering his 11th season as head coach, and he’s seen the Tide plenty. This season, he’s certain they’re one of the best teams in the country.
After Auburn’s 94-43 season-opening win over the Vermont Catamounts, Pearl discussed the rigors of his team’s schedule this year, pointing to three meetings in particular.
“So we’ll put this one behind us real quickly and play what I think will probably be; to me, Houston, Duke, and Alabama are three of the best teams in the country as I see it.” Pearl said.
It’s tough to argue with Pearl’s point. Houston made the Final Four last season just like Alabama, and Duke has freshman phenom Cooper Flagg on its roster this year. Those three schools, along with Kansas and UConn, are very likely the five best schools in the nation at the moment.
Pearl and Auburn will certainly be battle-tested this season.
[AL.com]
