The first set of KenPom rankings for the 2025-26 season have arrived for Alabama basketball.
After reaching the Elite Eight in March, Nate Oats and company will start the new year ranked No. 23, according to Ken Pomeroy.
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Among ranked SEC teams, Alabama still stands in the top five behind national champion and No. 2 Florida, No. 4 Kentucky, No. 9 Tennessee and No. 19 Vanderbilt. After finishing the 2025 season as the fourth-ranked team in the country, rival and Final Four contender Auburn, who started the year ranked ahead of Alabama, dropped to No. 31.
KenPom still expects Alabama to start the season as the fastest team in the nation, projecting an adjusted tempo of 76.3. The next-fastest teams in the SEC were Texas A&M (73.3) and Kentucky (73.1), which ranked No. 31 and No. 35, respectively, in tempo.
With the loss of sharpshooters like Chris Youngblood and Mark Sears, who are navigating their pro careers now, Alabama’s offense took a hit after finishing the 2024-25 season fourth overall. Ahead of exhibition play, beginning with a matchup against Florida State in Birmingham on Oct. 16, Alabama’s offense is ranked 16th with a rating of 117.1. Alabama’s defense dropped from No. 28, where it ended the 2024-25 season, to No. 34 before FSU.
With another nonconference gauntlet prepared by Oats, Alabama has numerous chances to move up early in the season with matchups against No. 16 St. John’s on Nov. 8, No. 3 Purdue on Nov. 13, No. 6 Illinois on Nov. 19, No. 8 Gonzaga in the Players Era Festival and No. 15 Arizona in the C.M. Newton Classic.
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Here’s a look at KenPom’s full top 25.
LOOKING AHEAD: All Alabama basketball start times, dates, TV channels for 2025-26 SEC schedule
REQUIRED READING: Why Nate Oats thinks center Collins Onyejiaka can be ‘special’ for Alabama basketball
Where Alabama basketball stands in first KenPom rankings of 2025-26 season
Emilee Smarr covers Alabama basketball and Crimson Tide athletics for the Tuscaloosa News. She can be reached via email at esmarr@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Where is Alabama basketball in first KenPom rankings of 2025-26 season?
