Alabama basketball took a tough loss Saturday, dropping to Auburn in Tuscaloosa. The defeat showed off many of the problems that have plagued the Crimson Tide in its worst moments all season, and was the start of a brutal stretch of schedule to close out the regular season.
Six games. All opponents in the top 25.
“We got six tough games,” Oats said after the loss. “We gotta be ready for every last one of them. We talk a lot about adversity. Sometimes it makes you better.”
As the Crimson Tide, sitting second in the SEC standings, prepares to prove its mettle, here’s a look at its stretch run.
Wednesday– at Missouri
Sitting fifth in the SEC, the Tigers have executed a huge turnaround after last year’s squad went winless in league play. Missouri beat Georgia Saturday, and was listed as a No. 6 seed in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi’s latest projection.
The Tigers are 19-6 overall, 8-4 in SEC play, and have only lost one game at Mizzou Arena this season.
Saturday– Kentucky
Mark Pope took over for John Calipari as the Wildcat head coach this season, and the result has been a far faster team offensively. Kentucky is on a bit of a cold streak lately, currently 6-6 in SEC play.
Alabama already beat UK once this season, at Rupp Arena in Lexington. That game was one of the highest-scoring games on the Crimson Tide’s schedule so far, a 102-97 win.
Feb. 25– Mississippi State
After Alabama won a 88-84 battle in Starkville earlier this season, Mississippi State makes the return trip to Tuscaloosa. The Bulldogs are eighth in the SEC currently, 6-6 in league play.
MSU beat Ole Miss Saturday, and remains ranked in the top 25 entering the stretch run of its season.
March 1– at Tennessee
The Volunteers scored a comeback victory over Vanderbilt Saturday in Knoxville, taking down the Commodores 81-76 after falling behind by 16. Tennessee is 8-5 in SEC play, with two losses to Kentucky, and one each to Auburn, Florida and Vanderbilt.
When the NCAA’s selection committee revealed an early look at seeding Saturday, UT was No. 5 overall, the No. 2 seed in the east region.
March 5– Florida
The fourth overall seed and No. 1 in the west region at the seed reveal, Florida stands as Auburn’s lone SEC loss this season. The Gators, at 9-3 in conference play, remain in contention for a regular season championship.
Florida’s three losses came to Kentucky, Missouri and Tennessee.
March 8– at Auburn
After Alabama couldn’t beat the Tigers in Tuscaloosa, it won’t get any easier to close the season in Neville Arena. Auburn controls its own destiny late in the year, and has shown why it’s a worthy No. 1 team at the moment.
Besides its SEC loss to Florida, the only other defeat on Auburn’s record came at the hands of Duke.
