Born and raised in the state of Alabama, saying football isn’t my favorite sport might be considered border-line blasphemous, but it will never make it any less true.
My preferred sport is basketball, though, oddly, I haven’t stepped foot onto a court and tried to hoop in what feels like ages. While I’ve likely lost my touch around the rim, I’ve never misplaced my passion for the game.
This year has been especially exciting to be an Alabama basketball fan. In head coach Nate Oats’ second season leading the men’s program, his team has won the regular season SEC title.
As I write, the squad is ranked sixth in the country and is practically a lock for the NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide is currently projected as a 2-seed, but there’s a chance they could be slotted as a No. 1 if they play well in the SEC Tournament this weekend — particularly if they were to win it all. Being a No. 1 seed would be historic for Alabama, as they’ve never been ranked so high. They’ve only been a two-seed twice in program history (1987 and 2002).
Given the uncertainty surrounding all sports amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s truly been a magical season for the Tide, regardless of how the remainder of the season unfolds. However, Oats didn’t win SEC Coach of the Year for no reason. He understands there’s much more left to play for, and Tide seniors John Petty Jr. (First Team All-SEC) and Herbert Jones (SEC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, First Team All-SEC and All Defensive Team) don’t want this season to end anytime soon.
I think my Tide could be in store for a big March. Alabama hasn’t made it past the the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament since 2004 — the year they finished in the Elite Eight — but this could be the year they make another historic run, and perhaps go even further than expected. They’re certainly built to do so. The Tide is an experienced, up-tempo team that shoots the ball exceptionally and plays stellar defense.
But you can’t predict the madness of March. Nothing goes the way you think it should, and you’re always left with a pleasant surprise in the end. I’ll never forget the years Butler University almost won it all to cap off the unlikeliest of Cinderella stories.
What a year it could wind up being for Alabama. To win a national championship in football and in basketball in the same year? Only rival Florida has accomplished that feat. Imagine if that were to actually happen — football school Alabama cutting down the nets in Indianapolis. We’d likely see another USA Today columnist asking Alabama to just cancel the rest of its sports out of fairness.
In a recent conversation, a friend jokingly said the Tide wasn’t supposed to be playing well because they’re a football school. Well, there’s no denying that. After all, the University of Alabama everyone knows today was built on the success of football coaches Paul “Bear” Bryant and, now, Nick Saban. With 18 football national championships, how could there possibly be room left in the trophy case for a now pronounced hoops program?
Don’t look now, but I think Coach Oats may have found some space.
Taylor Beck is the editor and publisher of The Covington News. He is a 2016 graduate of the University of Alabama. He may be reached at tbeck@covnews.com.
