NCAAM News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Newsletter

Image credit: ClutchPoints

Why Alabama basketball will win 2025 NCAA Tournament

Originally posted on NCAA Basketball on ClutchPoints
By Bailey Bassett | Last updated Mar 20, 2025 12:50 PM ET

Defense wins championships, or so the saying goes. Alabama basketball is looking to prove that idea wrong during the 2025 NCAA Tournament. The Crimson Tide have the top offense in the nation, and they are certainly one of the favorites to win March Madness this year. Rumors have been whispered about the school with the greatest college football of all time becoming a basketball school of sorts, and winning their first national title in hoops would go a long way in giving some validation to that claim. After making the Final Four for the first time ever last year, here is why Alabama will be the last team standing in the Big Dance this year.

Positive injury news regarding Grant Nelson

Alabama basketball went 25-8 this season, which was an improvement from their record last season. They were rewarded with the two-seed in the East region because of their success. Mark Sears, the First-Team All-American, is certainly their best player. They wouldn’t be where they are if it wasn’t for Grant Nelson, though.

The fifth-year senior originally went viral for absolutely balling during his days at North Dakota State University. He transferred to Alabama last year and played a crucial role in getting the team to the Final Four. The 6-foot-10 forward has only gotten better this season.

While Nelson’s scoring averages dropped slightly to 11.8 points per game, most of his statistics across the board are up from his first season in Tuscaloosa. Nelson has been more efficient as a scorer, putting the ball in the hoop 52.8 percent of the time. He has also improved as a rebounder, as he has averaged 7.6 boards per game.

However, fans were concerned that Nelson would miss extended time during the NCAA Tournament. In the SEC semifinal against Florida, Nelson suffered a left leg injury. The injury resulted in Alabama suffering by far their worst loss of the season, and their March Madness outlook became a lot more bleak as fans worried Nelson’s season might be over.

The team received positive news when it was reported that Nelson will be back for the Big Dance. It looks more likely that he will return in the Round of 32, rather than the Round of 64, but Alabama should be able to handle Robert Morris even without him. Nelson’s presence will be vital in the later rounds, though.

Alabama’s potent offense

Mark Sears Alabama Jake Crandall-Imagn Images

If Alabama is able to make it all the way to the national championship game, they will do it with their offense leading the way. The Crimson Tide scored 91.1 points per game, which was the most in the entire nation. Six different players have averaged double digit scoring figures this season, including Sears (18.7 points per game), Nelson (11.8), Aden Holloway (11.4), Labaron Philon (10.9), Chris Youngfield (10.0), and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. (11.5), although Wrightsell Jr. is out for the season with an injury.

Sears is the go-to option, and he is clearly one of the best scorers in the country. That was evidenced when he hit the game-winner in the Iron Bowl against Auburn. Sears’ bucket-getting ability has been proven time and time again, though. This team really plays a team-first style of play that allows anybody and everybody to go off, though.

Alabama makes 10.4 3-pointers per game, and they shoot high-quality shots, too. Their 48.3 percent field goal rate is the 23rd-best mark in the nation. Getting hot in March can lead to a deep tournament run, and Alabama just so happens to be the most likely team in the field that can get scorching. An efficient offensive stretch could lead Alabama to the March Madness basketball glory they’ve never had before.

Alabama’s deep March Madness run in 2024

The 2024-25 season isn’t the 2023-24 season, but Alabama’s experience from the NCAA Tournament last year will certainly be helpful in this year’s Big Dance. The Crimson Tide were a four-seed last year, but they still made it all the way to the Final Four. Most of Nate Oats’ roster returned this year, and you can easily argue that they are an even better team.

Just as they did this season, Alabama lost to Florida in the SEC Tournament last season. They still bounced back to win in dominant fashion in round one. They then knocked off a potential Cinderella team in Grand Canyon University in round two before they beat the top-seeded North Carolina team in the Sweet 16. Alabama’s Elite Eight matchup against Clemson last year can be used as an example of just how good this team is when the offense gets going, and the Crimson Tide weren’t eliminated until they took on the eventual champions in UConn in the Final Four.

Unfortunately, Alabama has Duke in their region this season, which won’t make their run to the national championship easy. Even so, Cooper Flagg’s injury status is still a little bit up in the air. Alabama’s basketball team has the talent and experience to make a deep March Madness run. Perhaps they could even win the thing for the first time in program history.

This article first appeared on NCAA Basketball on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: