Somehow, the nation’s No. 1 team is flying under the radar. Alabama is 12-0 in SEC play. The Crimson Tide have lost once since Christmas — to Oklahoma in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge — but followed that up by pounding Vanderbilt by 57.
Alabama’s average scoring margin of +14.7 is seventh in the country. Only one major-conference team is better. That team just so happens to be in the SEC … and just so happens to be playing Alabama this week. Tennessee has suffered consecutive buzzer-beating losses — first to Vanderbilt on Feb. 8 and then to Missouri over the weekend. The Volunteers have lost three of four but still own a better average scoring margin (+16.2). They also represent the biggest obstacle between Alabama and the first perfect SEC campaign since 2014-15 Kentucky when the Crimson Tide rolls into Rocky Top on Wednesday.
Of course, the SEC is much more than two of its best teams. In fact, it’s very much been about the struggles of some teams expected to compete for conference supremacy. Those teams, too, have big opportunities this week. All times below Eastern.
This week’s top games
No. 15 Miami at North Carolina (Monday, 7 p.m. on ESPN) — Welcome to the ACC, where a down year overall has created a hilariously crowded standings. Four teams are within a game of first while nine are within three games of the top spot, including Miami (½ GB) and North Carolina (3 GB). Can the Tar Heels keep up with a Hurricanes offense that ranks first in efficiency and second in 3-point percentage in ACC play? UNC ranks eighth and 15th in those categories, respectively, so the expected answer would be no. But the Dean Dome is not an easy place to play: Miami is just 4-10 there since 2000, and the Hurricanes have been bad on the road in general this year at just 5-4 (compared to 14-0 at home). The Isaiah Wong/Nijel Pack/Wooga Poplar vs. Caleb Love/R.J. Davis backcourt battle will go a long way in determining this one.
No. 18 Creighton at No. 24 Providence (Tuesday, 7 p.m. on FS1) — The Big East isn’t quite as crowded as the ACC, but there are four teams within 1½ games of Marquette for the conference lead, and Providence can climb to within a game when it hosts Creighton.
Among the many aspects that make this one particularly intriguing is fouls. As David Cobb wrote last week, the Bluejays are obsessed with not fouling. Their 12.7 fouls committed per game are fewest in Division I….
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