Alabama’s next stretch of four games are critical to the Tide’s season
It has been a slightly disappointing season for Nate Oats and the Alabama men’s basketball team. Last season saw the Tide win the SEC regular-season and conference titles, and then make a run to the sweet sixteen in the NCAA tournament. So the expectations for Oats and company were very high entering the season.
The Tide was able to find some early success this season, beating Gonzaga and Houston before entering conference play. The disappointing part of the season is that all six of the team’s losses have come to unranked opponents.
Currently, Alabama sits with a 13-6 record overall and 4-3 in conference play. Things don’t get any easier for the Tide as three of the next four opponents are ranked inside of the top fifteen. To say these next four games for Alabama are critical is a massive understatement.
To get the four-game stretch started, Alabama will travel to Athens to take on the SEC bottom feeders in the Georgia Bulldogs who have yet to win a conference game. Then Alabama will head back home to Tuscaloosa to host No. 4 Baylor in the SEC/BIG12 Challenge. The Tide will then get back to conference play by traveling to Auburn to take on Bruce Pearl and the top-ranked Tigers. To finish off the brutal four-game stretch, Alabama will return home to tip-off against No. 12 Kentucky.
Obviously, in a perfect world, the Tide would go 4-0 during that gauntlet, but that isn’t being very realistic. The good news is that the stretch gets started with the worst team in the SEC and if Alabama gets a win there, confidence would begin to build as they would be on a three-game winning streak heading back home to take on Baylor.
Either way, it is a very tough stretch for Alabama right here in the middle of SEC play. I think Alabama will come out on the other side with a 2-2 record. I think Georgia is an obvious win, and I am not really sure where the other win comes from. I just think this team has too much talent and pride to not win one out for the next three.
There is no better time for Oats and his team to find its groove than right now. This four-game stretch could prove vital for this team when March comes around.
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