With over a month since the Florida Gators were crowned the champions of college basketball, much of the focus has shifted towards the 2025-26 season. Many players have swapped teams through the transfer portal or decided to enter the NBA Draft.
Non-conference matchups have also slowly started coming in, with the Alabama Crimson Tide slated to face another tough non-conference schedule.
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On Tuesday, On3’s Jamie Shaw released his way-too-early top 25 with Alabama coming in at No. 16. The Crimson Tide is one of five SEC teams included in the rankings.
The four other SEC teams include Kentucky at No. 7, Tennessee at No. 9, Auburn and No. 13 and defending champion Florida at No. 22.n
Feb 22, 2025; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Travis Perry (11) drives the ball against Alabama Crimson Tide guard Aden Holloway (2) during the second half at Coleman Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images© Will McLelland-Imagn Images
The Wildcats are coming off a Sweet 16 in Mark Pope’s first season in Lexington with the program nabbing six transfers including former Alabama forward Mouhamed Dioubate.
Tennessee has the No. 6 portal class according to On3 after the Vols grabbed three players through the portal and five-star freshman Nate Ament. Auburn is losing many players from its Final Four team but has the No. 8 ranked transfer class which is headlined by former UCF forward Keyshawn Hall.
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Alabama suffered a lot of attrition this offseason with Mark Sears, Grant Nelson, Clifford Omoruyi, and Chris Youngblood all graduating along with four departures through the portal. Head coach Nate Oats has attempted to refuel the roster with four transfers and three incoming freshman.
Former five-star recruit Jalil Bethea is coming over from Miami along with forwards Taylor Bol Bowen and Keitenn Bristow and center Noah Williamson. All three incoming freshmen are four-star recruits, with forward London Jemison ranked the highest at No. 32 in the country.
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