Regardless of the past week this is still a team that I believe can find a way to win most games left on their schedule. However, the NCAA tournament is all about matchups and I truly believe that the majority of the 68 teams can make it out of the first weekend. The name of the school on the jersey may change but there will be plenty of "Oklahomas" and "Missouris" in the 11-14 seeding range. Maybe it is because I have been beaten down by Bama basketball over the past 15 years but a feel like a 4 seed and a 50/50 ball game on day 2 is about what we should expect from our club this year and the majority of years going forward. This year only Baylor and Gonzaga should be disappointed with anything less. Shoot, UK, Duke, and UNC may not even make the tournament .
What are your expectations for this team???
- Thread starter frazor
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I had hoped and believed this could be a final eight team with dreams of Bama ‘s first final 4 team.
But the loss to Oklahoma and now Missouri dampens that some.
I still believe this is a sweet 16 team.
But the loss to Oklahoma and now Missouri dampens that some.
I still believe this is a sweet 16 team.
Hopefully Sweet 16. And that is if Herb gets healthy and Bruner can come back and contribute. Lack of any post game will bite at some point.
I'm probably guarding myself against a Feb letdown but my expectations have slipped to Bama ending the season with a 14-4 record and a 4-3 record down the stretch with a possibility of 13-5 and 3-4 in the next 7 and a disappointing flop at home against a desperate barn team. I'm expecting another letdown at SCe before we start getting healthier and the team rebalances itself.
That being said this team is in house money territory given my expectations just 3 or 4 games into the season. Being SEC 10-1 with a disappointing one score loss on the road to another top 25 team wasn't even on the radar in Dec.
I really want and hope they can finish first in the SEC regular season, get that double bye to Fri, and wear down some tired teams on Fri and Sat going into a conference tournament championship game. It would be extra sweet to have that play out and get UK on Fri after the cats are worn out from back to back games. They've roasted us so many times in that scenario I would love to hand one back to them.
That being said this team is in house money territory given my expectations just 3 or 4 games into the season. Being SEC 10-1 with a disappointing one score loss on the road to another top 25 team wasn't even on the radar in Dec.
I really want and hope they can finish first in the SEC regular season, get that double bye to Fri, and wear down some tired teams on Fri and Sat going into a conference tournament championship game. It would be extra sweet to have that play out and get UK on Fri after the cats are worn out from back to back games. They've roasted us so many times in that scenario I would love to hand one back to them.
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Arkansas is our only remaining opponent that has a winning conference record. It would take a flop of monumental proportions for us to go 4-3 with the schedule that we have left. We’ll be fine. While I never thought we were good enough to merit a 1 seed, it was nice to see our name on that top line if even for just a couple of days. We’re probably more in the 3 seed range and I think that’s where we’ll end up.
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I agree. And that’s a pretty incredible turnaround in just two years if we can pull that off
i am still just taking it and enjoying it a game at the time. lets beat S Car next
roll tide
roll tide
Sweet 16 max. We have had some delusional fans for sure. We don’t know how to act on a bigger stage. It takes time to do that. We’ve got to win a “bigger” game on the road again for sure. Yes UT and KY were solid wins I get it but the SEC is way way down.
I’d take a Sweet 16 run all day. It’s been 17 years since we have made it that far.
For the most part I agree. This isn't a knock on Jones, as I am happy with all that he gives and does, but he is being forced into being the floor general and I think that can only carry them so far.
At the end of the day, it’s pretty incredible that we’re all talking about the Sweet 16 in year two of Oats’ tenure. Just yesterday we were losing to Norfolk St in the first round of the NIT
Why is the SEC “way way down”? Because UK is down? If UK was really good like they typically were, nobody would be mentioning the SEC being down. There’s 3 SEC teams in the top 15, which that doesn’t happen often for the SEC. The SEC will likely get 6 teams in, which is on average. So people should start saying UK is way way down and not the SEC. The SEC is like it always is, just not with Kentucky at the top.
I remember at the beginning of the season when we were discussing this team and it’s potential. Majority of people, myself included, expected to make the tournament and maybe win a game as the expectations.
After going 4-3, everyone was very disappointed and didn’t think Alabama had a chance. A 10 game win streak later and now everyone is predicting sweet 16 or elite eight and sounding disappointed about it. It’s amazing how things change after some success. I’m just looking for the team to win 1, maybe 2 games in the tournament and go from there. This is only year 2 of the Nate Oats era and we are taking about making it to the second weekend. What a phenomenal turnaround.
After going 4-3, everyone was very disappointed and didn’t think Alabama had a chance. A 10 game win streak later and now everyone is predicting sweet 16 or elite eight and sounding disappointed about it. It’s amazing how things change after some success. I’m just looking for the team to win 1, maybe 2 games in the tournament and go from there. This is only year 2 of the Nate Oats era and we are taking about making it to the second weekend. What a phenomenal turnaround.
Still expect sweet sixteen minimum. Elite eight could be a tough spot if we find ourselves against a top seed in third game. This team is still very dangerous and can make the final four. They do need a healthy Brunner and herb, and better initiation by our point guard. Petty needs to step up and demand the basketball.
I believe they are playing their worst basketball right now, and come conference tournament time they'll be back to optimal form.
I believe they are playing their worst basketball right now, and come conference tournament time they'll be back to optimal form.
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If ever there is a year for Bama to make a final four, it is this year. More than likely, fans won’t be allowed in the tourney. This means there will be no road game in the tourney. Yes, several teams mirror Mizzou and Oklahoma, but there are no other Alabamas. I anticipate more fear of playing Alabama, than any other team in the tourney Not named Baylor or Gonzaga. I will continue to say final four until we are knocked out. I am not giving up on this dream.
I'm worried bc our shooting is just absolute garbage right now. We still have almost all of February left and we in here talking about Elite 8s and Sweet 16s. Give me a break.
What’s wrong with talking about it? We are a top 15 team at the moment so Sweet 16 is very possible.
I’m just glad we aren’t talking about the bubble this year.
Must be a slow day on the football forums
We go to South Carolina and shoot and rebound like we did yesterday and that will be another L. As a matter o
Wouldn't know. Haven't been there. But, I'll go ahead and give my expectations. We're gonna limp into the SEC Tourney after losing our road games to teams ranked way below us. Maybe win a game or 2 in the SEC Tourney and then lose in the 2nd round of the NCAA when we run into a team that plays D on us like Mizzou and OU did.
I am not worried about the shooting. This team has shown the ability to win even in an off night. What is worrisome is their rebounding and defense. If it isn't clicking then nothing else is either.
LSU. and the barn are pretty big road wins as well. You accuse this team of not knowing how to act on a big stage, what stage did they not act right? That is a BS statement in
I am as disappointed as the rest of us, but I don’t think this loss will affect this team much. I think everything we were looking at is still attainable including a number one seed. The loss was a quad 1 loss and will not affect their ranking, seeding etc., that much.
Before the season started I just wanted to make the tourney and win at least one game And right now the team has a chance to do some damage when we get there.
This team has not forgotten how to play, but we need Bruner and Jones, Reese and company healthy so we can get our chemistry working, and believe we will.
The boogs are a bad basketball team, as their 12th place standing in the SEC will attest. Arkansas, Georgia, and Ole Miss have also beaten them in cow town, so that would hardly qualify as a big road win.
I love the improvements Oats has made, but still a long way to go to be a NCAA sweet 16 plus caliber program. I would love to see the Tide win the SEC tournament and make an NCAA run at least to the 3 rd round, but I don’t see either as likely happening . Sec tournament runner up and one ncaa win is likely finish. But that is still in right direction, oats needs to recruit elite players and this season’s success may help him do that.
They already have a top 15 class coming in. I’d love to know why you think they have a long way to go to sweet 16?
Not saying that he falls in to this group but it cracks me up when fans think the blueprint for Bama's basketball success should mimic the football blueprint. "How dare this bball team not show up ready to dominate their opponent every second of a 30 games season? It's like they don't even care."
I think that Bruner is the leader on this team. If he can play, we can make a run. Without him, I don't think we get very far.
The thing I’ve learned about college hoops over the years, is you don’t put any expectations on any team.
Any one can beat you on any given day, especially during the tourney. Just be happy you make the field and see what happens after that.
Any one can beat you on any given day, especially during the tourney. Just be happy you make the field and see what happens after that.
bruner has had a couple of really good games, but his over all play this year has been average. he will help , but he is not the player we have made him out to be since he was injuried.
Couldn’t agree more. He will help out, but he isn’t some monster presence in the paint we are missing. He didn’t really rebound, block shots or score very much in the paint.
by the way, bruner had a great game against the cow college.. we would not have won with out his late play and petty's late defense. bruner has had some bad games as well. W KY comes to mind. he will help, but he is not the back bone of this team/
This x 1000. I think the chances of this team going further than sweet 16 are pretty low and it pains me to think how this board is going to react. It's like everybody has forgotten about 12 straight years of "first 4 out."
I think you're probably right about the sweet 16 being a realistic limit for this team. We're a hard team for me to get a handle on. Are we the squad that looked like an NCAA bubble or NIT team for this season's first 7 and last 5 games, or are we the squad that looked like a top 10 team for the 8 games in between? The truth is probably somewhere in the middle. Matchups will go a long way in determining how far we advance in March. If we draw a hard nosed defensive team with a strong post presence in the first round we could be 1 and done. If we shoot it like we did for our first 8 conference games we could make a little noise.
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