SEC Basketball: Alabama, Auburn leads way-too-early power rankings for 2024-25 season

1. Alabama Crimson Tide

It was a season for the history books in Tuscaloosa. Alabama advanced to its first-ever Final Four in program history, finishing the year 25-12 (13-5) behind one of most efficient, high-octane offenses in college basketball under Nate Oats.

Not only will Alabama continue to have one of the more potent offenses in college basketball, but they will also have one of the best teams in which you can easily make a case for the Crimson Tide to be preseason No. 1 come November.

To begin, Alabama returns Mark Sears, a preseason All-American who averaged 21.5 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 4.0 APG last season. Sears elected to return to Alabama after withdrawing from the 2024 NBA Draft.

Grant Nelson is back. So are Latrell Wrightsell and Jarin Stevenson. Those four returnees alone account for over 50% of Alabama’s scoring.

In addition to their returnees, Nate Oats made waves -- not splashes -- in the transfer portal, landing Rutgers big Cliff Omoruyi, who was one of the best rim protectors in the Big Ten last season. Chris Youngblood (South Florida) and Aden Holloway (Auburn) will help Sears in the backcourt. Houston Mallette (Pepperdine) has the intangibles to be an elite sharpshooter, as he shot 41.5% from behind the arc last year.

The Crimson Tide are loaded, showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. Not only will Nate Oats’ group be in the mix for an SEC title, but they will also be firmly in the mix for a national title, too.