Where Does Bama Fit in to the NCAA Tourney?

Ranked 16th by both the AP and the coaches, the 2023-24 Alabama basketball team looks to be on firm ground regarding recent March Madness predictions and NCAA Tournament projections.

A tough non-conference slate, even though it resulted in four losses, has the attention of the projectors.

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Heading into tough rematches with Auburn and LSU this week, the Crimson Tide of Nate Oats looks to be on track for a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament next month. There is a LOT of season left, but with SEC play half over, Alabama sits in first place for the SEC and in line for a high seed in March Madness.

A season ago, the Crimson Tide earned the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. That's not going to happen this year due to the above-mentioned losses to the likes of Clemson, Purdue, Arizona and Creighton.

For those reasons, Alabama isn’t on a path to landing as high in March Madness as the Tide did last season, but if it keeps winning games, the Crimson Tide should end up with a solid national seed on Selection Sunday.

Heading into Wednesday's rematch with Auburn on the road, here are the latest NCAA Tournament predictions for Alabama and Oats:

ESPN: 3 seed (Memphis)

Joe Lunardi’s latest bracketology projections show Crimson Tide in Memphis as a No. 3 seed to face No. 14 seed Morehead State. The winner would then play the winner of the game between No. 6 seed Utah State and No. 11 seed Washington State or Seton Hall. Alabama lands in the East region in these projections.

CBS Sports: 3 seed (Charlotte)

In Jerry Palm’s projection Monday, he also has Alabama as a No. 3 seed. The differences are that he projected the Crimson Tide to be in the Midwest region, facing No. 14 seed Louisiana Tech in the first round before a matchup with No. 6 seed Florida Atlantic or No. 11 seed Northwestern in the second round.

FOX Sports: 4 seed (Midwest)

Sounds a bit more harsh, but the Tide would take it. FOX Sports’ Mike DeCourcy has Alabama as a No. 4 seed, unlike Lunardi and Palm. He projects the Crimson Tide to face No. 13 seed Samford [led by former Mountain Brook coach Bucky McMillan] in the first round.

Bottom line: Barring a collapse, Bama will be just fine on Selection Sunday.