Will The Crimson Tide Keep Their NCAA Streak Alive?

Alabama basketball tickets have been in demand recently, even though the overall sports scene in Tuscaloosa has been dominated by a certain football coach being hired amidst much fanfare. Even though the national spotlight has been on the gridiron, the Crimson Tide have been making an intense push to get back to the NCAA Tournament. Although Alabama is currently ranked in the polls, their spot in the "Big Dance" is not guaranteed at this point. Below we'll take a look at Alabama's qualifications to determine whether or not they'll be dancing next month.

Schedule

Alabama has the advantage of playing in one of the power conferences on the college basketball landscape, and they currently sit atop the standings in the SEC West. However, that can be somewhat deceiving, as Arkansas and LSU, two perennial contenders in the conference, are having somewhat disappointing seasons. Not to mention, a 6-6 conference record is not going to impress the selection committee.

However, the Crimson Tide have played a strong schedule overall, with quality wins over the likes of Iowa, Xavier, North Carolina State and Oklahoma, and they recently took Florida to the wire before losing a tough game in Gainesville. Even if the Crimson Tide aren't selected for the tournament, it's been a good year to have Alabama basketball tickets.

Recent Trends

One of the overlooked aspects of the selection process for the NCAA Tournament is how a team has played in recent games. This is a factor that as of now does not appear to work in Alabama's favor. They are only 5-5 in their last 10 games, and that includes losses to a struggling Auburn team and Vanderbilt. The Vanderbilt loss doesn't look too bad now, however, given that the Commodores recently dominated Florida on their home floor, and Vanderbilt is always a tough place to play.

Outlook

Overall, Alabama has every opportunity to get themselves into the tournament. They have games remaining against Tennessee, Auburn and the two schools in Mississippi, and there's also the SEC Tournament. If Alabama can get themselves into a mode where they finish strong, their final resume could look quite good, especially if that resume includes 20 wins, a national ranking, an SEC West title and a deep run in the SEC Tournament.

If all these things happen, and it's somewhat likely that they will, Alabama's streak of five consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournament will be extended, and fans with Alabama basketball tickets will have a potential championship team to watch.