Tide Basketball Team Predicted to Win SEC West

The Alabama Crimson Tide basketball team is coming off a 5-11 SEC record last season, has missed the NCAA tournament the last two years, lost its best player to the NBA draft and best perimeter shooter to graduation. Sounds like its going to be a bleak year doesn't it?

Well, it wont be according to the SEC media who picked the Crimson Tide to win the SEC West this year. The biggest reasons for the preseason prediction is two fold: Alabama returns 9 players from last years team and returns All-American point guard Ronald Steele, who red shirted last season while recovering from knee problems that have plagued him the last two seasons. According to Steele his knee is finally back to normal.

"I'm just happy to be out there playing with no pain. I'm back to playing the game without thinking, without hesitation. And every day it gets better." Steele recently told the Huntsville Times. Returning with Steele this season is the only other senior Brandon Hollinger, junior Alonzo Gee, Yamene Coleman, Senario Hillman, and all everything 5- star recruit JaMychal Green.

I am not going to tell you losing PF Richard Hendrix to the NBA is not going to hurt, but big time programs have to go through this all the time and if Alabama wants to be a big time program they need to overcome this. Helping with that are that the early reports on Green have been outstanding. While he is still adjusting to the half court college game his athletic ability and size (6-9, 225 lbs.) as a 18 year old have everybody around the program excited.

That said, the bottom line for this team will rest with Steele. If he is truly healthy and his old self we will win a lot of games, if he is not, then we won't. Our non-conference schedule provides some exciting games including Alabama playing in the Maui Invitational opening up with the Oregon Ducks. Depending on the outcome of that game we will either play potential # 1 North Carolina or Chaminade, the UNC game will give us a good early look at our chances. Clemson and Georgia Tech also provide ACC non-conference competition early in the year. Below is the complete preseason poll.

SEC MEDIA PRESEASON BASKETBALL POLL
SEC EAST:
1. Tennessee
2. Florida
3. Kentucky
4. Vanderbilt
5. South Carolina
6. Georgia

SEC WEST
1. ALABAMA
2. LSU
3. Ole Miss
4. Miss St.
5. Auburn
6. Arkansas