Alabama basketball’s SEC regular season championship hopes took consecutive hits on Saturday and Tuesday following Crimson Tide losses to fell to Tennessee and Florida, respectively.
No. 17 Alabama (20-10, 12-5 SEC) fell to 0-2 against the Vols and 1-1 vs. the Gators this season, also dropping the Crimson Tide to third place in the SEC standings behind South Carolina, which is a game back from Tennessee.
With only one game left in the regular season, Alabama no longer controls its own destiny in the race. It will need some help from South Carolina and Kentucky vs. the Vols, who can clinch the SEC championship on Wednesday with a win vs. the Gamecocks.
REQUIRED READING: Alabama basketball loses dogfight with Tennessee, drops out of SEC lead
No. 4 Tennessee (23-6, 13-3) defeated the Crimson Tide 81-74 on Saturday, giving the Vols sole possession of first place in the SEC standings ahead of Alabama, No. 16 South Carolina (24-5, 12-4), No. 14 Auburn (23-7, 12-5) and No. 13 Kentucky (21-8, 11-5).
There’s also some room for chaos, and the possibility of a five-way tie in the final SEC standings. At that point, tournament seeding would be determined by a lengthy list of tiebreakers.
Here are the scenarios Alabama needs to earn a share of the SEC regular season championship:
REQUIRED READING: Who will Alabama women’s basketball play in SEC Tournament? Seed, time, and TV channel
Can Alabama still claim share of SEC championship?
While it’s unlikely, the Crimson Tide still has a shot at earning a share of the SEC’s regular season championship.
Alabama must win its remaining game against Arkansas (14-15, 5-11 SEC), while Tennessee loses both of its final games against South Carolina on the road and Kentucky at home.
The result would make both Alabama and Tennessee 13-5 in conference play. Then, the Crimson Tide would need South Carolina…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/alabama-basketball-win-share-sec-152325985.html
Author : The Tuscaloosa News
Publish date : 2024-03-06 15:23:25
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.