Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball

Men's college basketball team From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team represents the University of Alabama in NCAA Division I men's basketball. The program plays in the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Among SEC teams it trails only long-time basketball powerhouse Kentucky in SEC tournament titles, is third behind Kentucky and Tennessee in SEC regular season conference titles, and is fourth behind Kentucky, Texas, and Arkansas in total wins. Alabama was retroactively ranked as the best pre-NCAA tournament team for the 1929–30 season by the Premo-Porretta Power Poll; however, this poll is not officially recognized by the NCAA.[3] The team has appeared in the NCAA tournament 26 times, most recently in 2025, and has made twelve Sweet Sixteens, three Elite Eights, and one Final Four in the tournament. Alabama's current head coach is Nate Oats.[3]

First season1912–13; 114 years ago
Head coachNate Oats
7th season, 170–73 (.700)
Quick facts University, First season ...
Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball
2026–27 Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team
UniversityUniversity of Alabama
First season1912–13; 114 years ago
Athletic directorGreg Byrne
Head coachNate Oats
7th season, 170–73 (.700)
LocationTuscaloosa, Alabama
ArenaColeman Coliseum
(capacity: 15,383)
NCAA divisionDivision I
ConferenceSEC
NicknameCrimson Tide
ColorsCrimson and white[1]
   
Student sectionCrimson Chaos
All-time record1,8461,1181 (.623)
NCAA tournament record3226 (.552)
NCAA Division I tournament Final Four
2024
Other NCAA Division I tournament results
Elite Eight2004 2024 2025
Sweet Sixteen1976 1982 1985 1986 1987 1990 1991 2004 2021 2023 2024 2025 2026
Appearances1975 1976 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1989 1990 1991 1992 1994 1995 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2012 2018 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026
Conference tournament champions
SoCon: 1930
SEC: 1934, 1982, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2021, 2023
Conference regular-season champions
SoCon: 1930
SEC: 1939, 1940, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1987, 2002, 2021, 2023
Conference division champions
SEC West: 2002, 2005, 2011
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away

* vacated by NCAA[2]
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The men's basketball program has spent most of its history in the shadow of Alabama's football team, but has risen in stature over the past several decades. The program was notable as a regular conference basketball contender in the 1980s and early 1990s under the direction of coach Wimp Sanderson and in the 1970s under coach C. M. Newton. Under former coach Mark Gottfried, the team achieved a No. 1 national ranking briefly in 2003. In the 2003–04 season, the team defeated #1-seeded Stanford in the NCAA tournament, and reached the Elite Eight round for the first time where they lost to the eventual national champion, Connecticut.[4]

Under Nate Oats, the team earned SEC titles in 2021 and 2023. In the latter year, the Crimson Tide achieved their best-ever season in program history to that point, earning the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament. They fell to the eventual runner-up, San Diego State, in the Sweet Sixteen. In the 2024 NCAA tournament, they defeated #1-seeded North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen, and defeated #6-seeded Clemson in the Elite Eight to advance to their first Final Four appearance in the school's history where they lost to the eventual national champion, UConn.

History

1929–30 Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team

Former coaches with at least five years with the Crimson Tide include the following: Hank Crisp (1923–1942, 1945–1946), Hayden Riley (1960–1968), C. M. Newton (1968–1980), Wimp Sanderson (1980–1992) – Alabama's winningest coach (.692), David Hobbs (1992–1998), Mark Gottfried (1998–2009), and Anthony Grant (2009–2015).[5][6]

Other coaches include John Dee, D.V. Graves, Floyd Burdette, and Charles A. Bernier.[6]

C. M. Newton

More information Season, Overall record ...
C.M. Newton (1968–1980)
SeasonOverall recordSEC recordPostseason
1968–694–201–17None
1969–708–185–13None
1970–7110–166–12None
1971–7218–813–5None
1972–7322–813–5NIT 4th Place
1973–7422–415–3None
1974–7522–515–3NCAA 1st Round
1975–7623–515–3NCAA 2nd Round
1976–7725–614–4NIT 4th Place
1977–7817–1011–7None
1978–7922–1111–7NIT 3rd Place
1979–8018–1212–6NIT 2nd Round
Overall record: 211–123 (.632)
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In 1968, legendary Alabama football coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, who was also Alabama's athletic director, called Kentucky men's basketball coach Adolph Rupp looking for someone to turn around Alabama's basketball program. Rupp recommended C. M. Newton, a former backup player at Kentucky who had been at Transylvania University for 12 years.[7] In 12 seasons at Alabama, Newton led the Tide to a record of 211–123. The Crimson Tide won three straight SEC titles under Newton (1974, 1975, and 1976), the only program besides Kentucky to accomplish this feat.[7] Newton also guided Alabama to four NIT and two NCAA Men's Division I Championship tournament berths, prompting the school to name a recruiting suite in his honor in 2006.[8]

Just as he did at Transylvania, Newton recruited Alabama's first black player, Wendell Hudson, in 1969, integrating his second team in as many coaching stops.[9]

Wimp Sanderson

More information Season, Overall record ...
Wimp Sanderson (1980–1992)
SeasonOverall recordSEC recordPostseason
1980–8118–1110–8NIT 2nd Round
1981–8224–712–6NCAA Sweet 16
1982–8320–128–10NCAA 1st Round
1983–8418–1210–8NCAA 1st Round
1984–8523–1011–7NCAA Sweet 16
1985–8624–913–5NCAA Sweet 16
1986–8728–516–2NCAA Sweet 16
1987–8814–176–12None
1988–8923–812–6NCAA 1st Round
1989–9026–912–6NCAA Sweet 16
1990–9123–1012–6NCAA Sweet 16
1991–9226–910–6NCAA 2nd Round
Overall record: 267–119 (.692)
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Newton resigned as head coach after the 1980–81 season to become assistant commissioner of the SEC. He was succeeded by his top assistant, Wimp Sanderson. He had been at Alabama since 1960 as a graduate assistant to Newton's predecessor, Hayden Riley; he was named a full-fledged assistant in 1961. In 12 years as head coach his teams averaged 21.8 wins a year, with a 267–119 record, and they won 4 SEC tournaments. They played in one NIT and eight NCAA tournaments making the "Sweet 16" five times. Sanderson is the only coach in Alabama history to win 200 or more games in his first 10 years. He was the SEC Coach of the Year in 1987, 1989 and 1990, and was the National Coach of the Year in 1987.[10]

Sanderson was best known for wearing garish plaid sports jackets on the sidelines. At one point, Coleman Coliseum was known as the "Plaid Palace", and the mid-court logo was painted in a crimson-and-white plaid pattern.

David Hobbs

Hobbs was hired at Alabama as an assistant coach for Wimp Sanderson in 1985 and spent seven years as an assistant in Tuscaloosa helping the Crimson Tide win one SEC Championship and four SEC Tournament crowns while the Tide made four appearances in the NCAA tournament's Sweet 16. As an assistant, he had the opportunity to coach such All-SEC performers as Robert Horry, James "Hollywood" Robinson and Latrell Sprewell.

When Sanderson left Alabama following the 1992 season, Hobbs was named head coach. In his first season, the Tide finished 16–13 and advanced to the NIT. In 1994 and 1995, Alabama recorded 20-win seasons and advanced to the NCAA tournament behind the play of future NBA All-Star Antonio McDyess. In 1996, Hobbs led UA to a 19–13 mark and a berth in the NIT Final Four. He resigned his post following the 1998 season after compiling a 110–76 (.594) career record and producing nine All-SEC players.

Mark Gottfried

More information Season, Overall record ...
Mark Gottfried (1998–2009)
SeasonOverall recordSEC recordPostseason
1998–9917–157–11NIT 1st Round
1999–200013–166–10None
2000–0125–118–8NIT Championship Game
2001–0227–812–4NCAA 2nd round
2002–0317–127–9NCAA 1st Round
2003–0420–138–8NCAA Elite Eight
2004–0524–812–4NCAA 1st Round
2005–0618–1310–6NCAA 2nd round
2006–0720–127–9NIT 1st Round
2007–0817–165–11Declined invitation to CBI[11]
2008–0912–72–3Resigned mid-season.
Overall record: 210–130 (.618)
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Mark Gottfried served as the Crimson Tide's head coach from the 1998–99 season until midway through the 2008–09 season.[5] Gottfried played 3 seasons of basketball at Alabama under Wimp Sanderson, and the Crimson Tide advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in each of those seasons. He was hired by Alabama in March 1998 after coaching at Murray State for three seasons.

The Crimson Tide achieved the highest pinnacle ever for the school in both the NCAA Championship tournament and the Associated Press Poll reaching the Elite Eight in the tournament in 2004 and reaching the No. 1 spot in the nation in the AP poll in 2002, both under Mark Gottfried's command.

Gottfried led the Tide to its only SEC Championship under his watch during the 2001–02 season, although the team never won a conference tournament championship during his tenure. For his efforts in 2002, Gottfried was named SEC Coach of the Year by both the Associated Press and his fellow Southeastern Conference coaches. Perhaps his biggest accomplishment as coach at Alabama was leading the Crimson Tide to five consecutive NCAA tournaments from 2002 to 2006, another first for the school that occurred under his watch.

Gottfried resigned on January 26, 2009, with 11 regular season games still remaining on the team's schedule. Then Athletic Director Mal Moore named long-time Alabama assistant and former player, Philip Pearson as interim head coach for the remainder of the 2008–09 season.

Anthony Grant

On March 27, 2009 Anthony Grant agreed in principle to become the 20th Crimson Tide head men's basketball coach.[12] Grant came to Alabama after serving as the head coach at VCU from 2006 to 2009.

After a mediocre first season, Grant led the veteran 2010–11 team to a SEC West title and a 2nd-place finish in the 2011 NIT. The 2011–12 team endured the suspensions of several star players to finish with a 21–12 record and a berth in the 2012 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, where they lost in the round of 64 to Creighton. This was the Crimson Tide's first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2006. In March 2015, Grant was fired by Alabama after six seasons. Assistant coach John Brannen served as interim head coach for the 2015 NIT tournament.[13]

Avery Johnson

On April 5, 2015, Avery Johnson agreed to become Alabama's next head coach.[14] The former NBA coach said he was attracted to the position because he perceived it as "a big challenge" in that Alabama is not a "perennial favorite" and has never won a championship before.[15] Johnson's 2017–18 team finished with a 20–16 (8–10) record and was invited to the NCAA tournament. The next season, the Tide finished 18–16 (8–10) and Johnson was let go at the end of the campaign.[16]

Nate Oats

On March 27, 2019, Nate Oats was named Alabama's next head coach.[17] Oats was previously the coach for the Buffalo Bulls, and had led them to three NCAA tournament appearances in the past four years. After a 16–15 record in his first season in 2019–20, Oats' second season brought Alabama the first SEC regular-season title since 2002 and the first SEC tournament title since 1991. The Tide were a No. 2 seed in the 2021 tournament, where they fell to UCLA in overtime in the Sweet Sixteen. Then in 2023, Oats coached Alabama to their second SEC regular season and tournament championship in three years. Alabama returned as the No. 1 overall seed in the 2023 NCAA tournament where they advanced to the Sweet Sixteen for the second time under Oats tenure before falling to San Diego State who advanced to the National Championship game.

In 2024, Alabama once again made the NCAA tournament and advanced to their second Elite Eight in program history after defeating North Carolina in the Sweet Sixteen. Bama beat Clemson in the West Region finals to advance to the Final Four for the first time in program history. By the end of the 2024–25 season, Oats had led Alabama to two Sweet Sixteen finishes, one Elite Eight finish, and one Final Four, the most sustained runs of tournament success by the school.

Oats also holds the best record against AP top 10 teams in Alabama history.[citation needed]

Roster

More information 2025–26 Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team, Players ...
2025–26 Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 0 Labaron Philon Jr. 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)177 lb (80 kg) SoLink Academy (MO) Mobile, AL
G 1 Jalil Bethea 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
SoMiami (FL) Philadelphia, PA
G 2 Aden Holloway 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)180 lb (82 kg) JrAuburn Charlotte, NC
G 3 Latrell Wrightsell Jr. 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)190 lb (86 kg) GSCal State Fullerton Omaha, NE
G 4 Davion Hannah 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
FrLink Academy (MO) Milwaukee, WI
F 5 Amari Allen 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
FrAshwaubenon HS Green Bay, WI
F 6 London Jemison 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
FrSt. Thomas More Bloomfield, CT
F 7 Taylor Bol Bowen 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
JrFlorida State Jericho, VT
F 10 Keitenn Bristow 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
SoTarleton State Holliday, TX
G 11 Preston Murphy Jr. 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
JrNorthern Oklahoma College Barrington, RI
C 15 Noah Williamson 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)249 lb (113 kg) SrBucknell Riga, Latvia
F 22 Aiden Sherrell 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)240 lb (109 kg) SoProlific Prep Detroit, MI
C 34 Collins Onyejiaka 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
FrThe Newman School Boston, MA
G 95 Houston Mallette 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)200 lb (91 kg) GSPepperdine Alameda, CA
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

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Arena

Front view of Coleman Coliseum

The Crimson Tide basketball team practices and plays in Coleman Coliseum, a multi-purpose arena on the UA campus in Tuscaloosa. The arena was built for $4.2 million and opened in 1968 as a replacement for the aging Foster Auditorium. In 2005, the building underwent a renovation in which more seats were added. The arena officially seats 15,314 people.

Coleman Coliseum was named for Jefferson Jackson Coleman, a prominent alumnus and longtime supporter of the University of Alabama. Until his death in 1995, he was the only person that had attended every Alabama football bowl game, starting with the Rose Bowl Game on January 1, 1926. Prior to 1990, the building was known as Memorial Coliseum.

Fan support

Mark's Madness

"Mark's Madness" was a student organization named after former Crimson Tide coach Mark Gottfried, which is also a play on the nickname for the NCAA basketball tournament, "March Madness".[18] It was created by a group of Alabama students in January 2000 in an attempt to create a more exciting atmosphere in Coleman Coliseum.[19] During the Gottfried era, the Crimson Tide was an impressive 137-27 (.835) in Coleman Coliseum.[18] Mark's Madness was the largest student organization on campus during its time.[18] The end of Mark Gottfried's tenure in early 2009 also meant the end of the Mark's Madness name.

Crimson Chaos

After Coach Anthony Grant was hired, a group of senior students approached the UA Marketing Department in the summer 2009 about resurrecting the student section organization. During the first exhibition game of the 2009 season, it was announced that the new name of the student organization for supporting Alabama basketball would be "Crimson Chaos".

As Crimson Chaos entered its second year, it officially registered as a University of Alabama student group and adopted a new format. In addition to supporting men's basketball, Crimson Chaos expanded to support all University of Alabama sports, becoming the official student group of athletics at the university.[20] The group also tried new things to make the atmosphere in Coleman Coliseum as intimidating as it was in previous years, including adding the "Roll Tide Roller Coaster".[21] The newly energized environment Crimson Chaos created in Coleman Coliseum helped the Tide complete an undefeated season at home (for the 2010–11 season) with a 19–0 record, including wins over then #12 Kentucky, Georgia, Mississippi State.

Luke “Fluff” Ratliff was a well-known advocate of the club who worked as its president and who wore a checkered coat while attending games. Ratliff played an important role among the student fans by encouraging interactions between the basketball team under head coach Nate Oats and other campus sports teams. After his death, a plaque was placed in his honor on the chair in the arena that is designated for future presidents of Crimson Chaos.[22][citation needed]

Post-season results

NCAA tournament

The Crimson Tide have appeared in the NCAA tournament 27 times. They have reached the Sweet Sixteen twelve times,[a][24] the Elite Eight three times, and the Final Four once. The Crimson Tide have an overall NCAA tournament record of 33–26.[25][26]

More information Year, Seed ...
Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1975First RoundArizona StateL 9497
1976First Round
Sweet Sixteen
North Carolina
Indiana
W 7964
L 6974
1982#4Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#5 St. John's
#1 North Carolina
W 6968
L 6974
1983#6First Round#11 LamarL 5073
1984#9First Round#8 Illinois StateL 4849
1985#7First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#10 Arizona
#2 VCU
#3 NC State
W 5041
W 6359
L 5561
1986#5First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#12 Xavier
#4 Illinois
#1 Kentucky
W 9780
W 5856
L 6368
1987*#2First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#15 North Carolina A&T
#7 New Orleans
#6 Providence
W 8871
W 10176
L 82103
1989#6First Round#11 South AlabamaL 8486
1990#7First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#10 Colorado State
#2 Arizona
#11 Loyola Marymount
W 7154
W 7755
L 6062
1991#4First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#13 Murray State
#5 Wake Forest
#1 Arkansas
W 8979
W 9688
L 7093
1992#5First Round
Second Round
#12 Stanford
#4 North Carolina
W 8075
L 5564
1994#9First Round
Second Round
#8 Providence
#1 Purdue
W 7670
L 7383
1995#5First Round
Second Round
#12 Penn
#4 Oklahoma State
W 9185OT
L 5266
2002#2First Round
Second Round
#15 Florida Atlantic
#10 Kent State
W 8678
L 5871
2003#10First Round#7 IndianaL 6267
2004#8First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
#9 Southern Illinois
#1 Stanford
#5 Syracuse
#2 Connecticut
W 6564
W 7067
W 8071
L 7187
2005#5First Round#12 MilwaukeeL 7383
2006#10First Round
Second Round
#7 Marquette
#2 UCLA
W 9085
L 5962
2012#9Second Round[b]#8 CreightonL 5758
2018#9First Round
Second Round
#8 Virginia Tech
#1 Villanova
W 8683
L 5881
2021#2First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#15 Iona
#10 Maryland
#11 UCLA
W 6855
W 9677
L 7888OT
2022#6First Round#11 Notre DameL 6478
2023#1First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#16 Texas A&M–Corpus Christi
#8 Maryland
#5 San Diego State
W 9675
W 7351
L 6471
2024#4First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four
#13 Charleston
#12 Grand Canyon
#1 North Carolina
#6 Clemson
#1 Connecticut
W 10996
W 7261
W 8987
W 8982
L 7286
2025#2First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
#15 Robert Morris
#7 Saint Mary's
#6 BYU
#1 Duke
W 9081
W 8066
W 11388
L 6585
2026#4First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
#13 Hofstra
#5 Texas Tech
#1 Michigan
W 9070
W 9065
L 7790
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NIT appearances

Alabama has appeared in 16 National Invitation Tournaments, reaching the championship game on two occasions. Alabama has an overall NIT record of 24–19.

More information Year, Seed ...
Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1973-First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Third-place game
Manhattan
Minnesota
Virginia Tech
North Carolina
W 8786
W 6965
L 7374
L 6988
1977-First round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Third-place game
Memphis State
Virginia Tech
Houston
Villanova
W 8663
W 7972
L 7682
L 89102
1979-First round
Second round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Third-place game
St. Bonaventure
Virginia
Texas A&M
Purdue
Ohio State
W 9889
W 9088
W 7268
L 6887
W 9686
1980-First round
Second round
Penn State
Murray State
W 5349
L 6270
1981-First round
Second round
St. John's
Duke
W 7369
L 7075
1993-First roundUABL 5658
1996-First round
Second round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Third-place game
Illinois
Missouri
South Carolina
St. Joseph's
Tulane
W 7269
W 7249
W 6867
L 6974
L 7687
1999-First roundWake ForestL 5773
2001-First round
Second round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship Game
Seton Hall
Toledo
Purdue
Detroit-Mercy
Tulsa
W 8579
W 7969
W 8577
W 7463
L 6679
2007#5First round#4 MassachusettsL 8789
2011#1First round
Second round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship Game
#8 Coastal Carolina
#4 New Mexico
#2 Miami (FL)
#1 Colorado
#4 Wichita State
W 6844
W 7467
W 7964
W 6261
L 5766
2013#1First round
Second round
Quarterfinals
#8 Northeastern
#4 Stanford
#2 Maryland
W 6243
W 66–54
L 57–58
2015#6First round
Second round
#3 Illinois
#2 Miami (FL)
W 79–58
L 66–73
2016#5First round#4 CreightonL 54–72
2017#3First round#6 RichmondL 64–71
2019#1First round#8 Norfolk StateL 79–80OT
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All-time leaders

Former players

The Alabama Crimson Tide men's basketball program has produced former players who have collectively won nine NBA Championships, earned six All-Star selections, six All-Defensive Team honors and three All-Rookie honors, while earning over $390 million in the NBA. Additionally, alumni of the program have appeared in nearly 10,000 combined NBA games and scored more than 90,000 total points.

Tide alumni currently in the NBA

PlayerYears at UANBA Team
Collin Sexton 2017–2018 Los Angeles Lakers
Herbert Jones 2017–2021 New Orleans Pelicans
Keon Ellis 2020–2022 Brooklyn Nets
JD Davison 2021–2022 Houston Rockets
Brandon Miller 2022–2023 Charlotte Hornets
Noah Clowney 2022–2023 Brooklyn Nets
Mark Sears 2022–2025 Milwaukee Bucks
Grant Nelson 2023-2025 Brooklyn Nets
Chris Youngblood 2024–2025 Portland Trail Blazers
Labaron Philon Jr. 2024–2026 Philadelphia 76ers

Source: Basketball Reference[27]

Tide alumni in international leagues

All-Americans

All-time record vs. current SEC teams

More information Opponent, Won ...
Opponent Won Lost Percentage Streak First Meeting
Arkansas3536.493Won 51948
Auburn10369.599Won 11924
Florida7974.516Lost 41927
Georgia10153.656Won 31922
Kentucky44117.273Won 31923
LSU11875.611Won 51916
Mississippi State13776.643Won 81913
Ole Miss12759.683Lost 11921
Oklahoma47.364Won 11971
Missouri158.652Lost 11977
South Carolina3616.692Won 101923
Tennessee8374.529Won 11914
Texas59.357Won 11948
Texas A&M1511.577Won 31958
Vanderbilt7871.523Won 31924
Totals 979 755 .565
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Retired numbers

Alabama has retired one jersey number, 20 for Wendell Hudson (F), who played Forward for Alabama 1969–1973.[28]

Notes

  1. Alabama's records for the 1987 tournament were vacated by the NCAA.[23]
  2. The Round of 64 was named the second round with the play-in games named the first round then.

References

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