ESPN projects Alabama basketball vs in-state foe in NCAA Tournament

A few national outlets have moved the Alabama Crimson Tide up the projected NCAA Tournament seed line after Nate Oats’ team closed the regular season with nine wins in their last 10 games.

Alabama (23-8 overall, 13-5 conference), ranked No. 15 in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll and AP poll, ended the regular season with a 96-84 rout of the Auburn Tigers at Coleman Coliseum on Saturday. Labaron Philon and Aden Holloway led the Crimson Tide with 21 points apiece as Alabama won its third straight over Auburn.

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The Crimson Tide are the No. 2 seed in this week’s SEC Tournament in Nashville. They’ll face either the Georgia Bulldogs (22-9, 10-8), the Texas Longhorns (18-13, 9-9), or — less likely — the Ole Miss Rebels (12-19, 4-14) in the tournament’s quarterfinal round Friday night at Bridgestone Arena.

A strong showing in Nashville could move Alabama even further up the seed line on Selection Sunday, but veteran ESPN college basketball analyst and March Madness watchman Joe Lunardi already has the Crimson Tide on the rise in his latest bracketology update.

Entering the SEC Tournament, Lunardi has Alabama as a projected No. 3 seed in March Madness. CBS Sports recently moved the Tide up to a No. 3 seed, as did veteran college hoops analyst Andy Katz. Morever, Alabama’s projected first-round opponent is a team from across the state.

If the NCAA Tournament started today, Lunardi sees Alabama taking on the Sun Belt conference champion Troy Trojans (22-11) in the first round at the East Region in Greenville, South Carolina. Troy defeated Georgia Southern, 77-61, on Monday to secure its second straight NCAA Tournament bid.

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It’s been a while since Alabama and Troy met on the hardwood. The last matchup came on Nov. 15, 2010, a 79-60 Crimson Tide victory in Anthony Grant’s second season as head coach.

Lunardi isn’t the only one who projects an Alabama-Troy matchup in Greenville; both Katz and longtime college basketball prognosticator Jerry Palm see the Tide facing the Trojans in the first round, as well.

As things stand now and if the East Region bracket goes chalk, Lunardi has the Crimson Tide squaring off against the sixth-seeded North Carolina Tar Heels in the second round of the tournament. Alabama defeated then-No. 1 seed UNC, 89-87, in a Sweet 16 upset two years ago en route to the program’s first Final Four appearance.

Palm’s latest bracket forecast has the Crimson Tide facing either No. 6 seed Louisville or 11th-seeded VCU in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, if Alabama beats Troy.