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I know we were somewhat optimistic last season when the Tide\u2019s SEC Basketball schedule was released. It looked daunting, but no one anticipated it to be quite as difficult as it would prove to be. <\/p>\n
This year\u2019s conference schedule was released today, and this time<\/em>, I promise, there are some bright spots to be had in the nation\u2019s most demanding conference. <\/p>\nFirst up, here are the Tide\u2019s opponents, and then we\u2019ll take a look at the reasons for optimism (as well as some downsides): <\/p>\n
The Good:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Alabama does get Arkansas again, but the Tide have a home contest with Cal\u2019s Hogs instead of the nightmare factory that a trip to Fayetteville has usually involved. <\/li>\n
- Alabama drew the two worst teams in the league in South Carolina (retooling with a guard-oriented lineup) and LSU \u2014 rebuilding under a new coach. no less. Even better, the LSU game is one of the Tide\u2019s road trips, providing a reasonably safe chance for an away victory.<\/li>\n
- There is no ridiculous trip to A&M, where games frequently take three hours. Buzz may be gone, but the Reed Center is a depressing visit at the best of times. This year, the Aggies travel to Tuscaloosa. But they bring a very <\/em>interesting style of play. Bucky Ball is lightning fast and perimeter oriented, like the Tide. However McMillan is one of the few coaches that still runs a full-court press after made baskets where the goal is to make teams play faster on the offensive end. Oh, no, please don\u2019t throw me in that briar patch. Should be a fun game played well into the 90s. <\/li>\n
- There\u2019s just one game against Florida? See below. <\/li>\n
- Alabama also only drew one game against the Kentucky Wildcats, who have significantly upgraded their talent this season. And it\u2019s mercifully not at Rupp either; the Tide get to host this one. <\/li>\n
- The Tide also host the embarrassing Georgia Bulldogs. It\u2019s not a good team, but they play far above their heads at Stegeman. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The (Maybe?) Bad:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- The Ole Miss Rebels signed one of the nation\u2019s best classes this year (12th) to go with a solid showing in the Portal (25th). Gone are the overachievers and square pegs from last season\u2019s Rebels lineup. This will be a fully operational Death Star, and last year\u2019s deeply veteran Tide already didn\u2019t fare well against Beard\u2019s style of play. It\u2019s on the road, at that.<\/li>\n
- Alabama gets two dates with the Vols this season, which necessitates a visit to Knoxville. That means under Nate Oats Alabama will have had three true home games in nine contests with the Vols. And \u2018Bama is already riding a four-game losing streak against UT overall, and is just 1-5 there the last decade. A split would be optimal here. <\/li>\n
- Vanderbilt is a true road game. Alabama is on somewhat of a hot streak there, of late. But let\u2019s not pretend they\u2019ve been easy games. Alabama could have easily dropped the last two. And the Commodores are a team on the rise who may be the most overlooked SEC program when they get you in that pitiful high school gym. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Ugly: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n- That trip to Gainesville is going to be hellish, no two ways about it. The Tide have won just twice in a quarter century at the O-Dome. And the defending Champion Gators have three legit seven-foot-plus bigs, bring in the nation\u2019s No. 7 recruiting class, and added Boogie to the backcourt. Alabama also hasn\u2019t matched up well with Golden\u2019s guys. In fact, if anyone owns Nate, it\u2019s Todd Golden. Oats is 1-4 against him the last two seasons, dropping four straight, and losing three of those by double-digits. Woof. Let\u2019s see if the Tide\u2019s new-look frontcourt can hold up this time. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
The Indifferent:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n- Alabama and Auburn meet twice. And we generally expect that the teams will split, usually home and home. Last season was aberrant only in that both squads lost to the other on homefloor. The bright spot here is that Oats has generally done well against the \u2018Barn: 7-3. But some of those Auburn teams were genuinely bad and\/or lacked talent. That won\u2019t be the case with this year\u2019s Tigers. <\/li>\n
- Ditto Mississippi State, as the pair will make trips across Highway 82 to visit the other. What is unexpected this season, however, is how much talent the Bulldogs were able to stockpile, somehow signing the 12th ranked recruiting class to go alongside the SEC\u2019s leading returning scorer, Josh Hubbard, who\u2019s sticking around for a Senior campaign. <\/li>\n
- Honestly, who knows what to make of the Oklahoma Sooners, who have lost most of their backcourt \u2014 the only spots with real talent. It\u2019s a true roadie, and that\u2019s always tougher than it should be on paper. <\/li>\n
- Likewise, when \u2018Bama gets the Horns under new management, what to expect? Alabama should have the talent and home floor advantage. But a new scheme and coach always present a learning curve. <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
\nSee? There are bright spots on the schedule this year \u2014 no trip to CoMo, Rupp or Arkansas, for starters. There aren\u2019t two games against Kentucky and Arkansas. Alabama kept two against the Bulldogs, instead of the Rebels. And \u2018Bama did get somewhat fortunate in that they play the entire bottom third of the SEC this season. Of course, four of those six teams did make the NCAA Tournament, but in this league, you take what you can get. <\/p>\n
Obviously, how the calendar is set will determine much of the Tide\u2019s success. Last year\u2019s backend was particularly unforgiving in that \u2018Bama finished with three of four on the road, and that home date was with the eventual SEC and National Champions. <\/p>\n
Still, for an SEC schedule, it looks \u2014 dare I say \u2014 somewhat fair? Even if it\u2019s going to be punishing almost every night.<\/p>\n
Roll Tide<\/p>\n