The NCAA committee has spoken, and the 2011-2012 Alabama Crimson Tide has done enough to gain entry into the game’s most prestigious tournament.
Alabama was tabbed as a 9 seed in the Midwest Regional where it faces 8th seed Creighton (28-5) this Friday. Game time is slated for 12:40pm CDT televised by TBS.
The Tide’s appearance in the big dance will be its first since 2006 and its 20th overall.
Alabama head coach Anthony Grant takes Alabama to the tournament in his third year at Alabama, a feat his predecessor (Mark Gottfried) didn’t accomplish until his fourth season. Gottfried would then lead Bama to five straight tourney bids, including an Elite 8 appearance in 2004.
Creighton is an outstanding mid-major offensive team, but Alabama’s angle on the game is defense. Few teams escape the 50’s against the Tide. The problem is, the same is true for Alabama, regardless of who they’re playing.
Most experts think Creighton takes care of business to advance to Sunday’s game against North Carolina (the midwest no. 1 seed). But it was a good (but not great) Bama team that took down Southern Illinios, Stanford and Syracuse to come within a game of making the Final Four in 2004.
Anything can happen in the tournament. Ask VCU. But the pundits are likely correct. But still, just the fact that Alabama is dancing again after a six-year drought is victory enough.
Hopefully the day will soon come, however, when making the tournament isn’t enough. Hopefully going deep, making the Final Four and beyond will one day be a realistic focus in Tuscaloosa.
But for now, just not losing to a team whose mascot resembles a character on an off-brand, generic kid’s cereal box is the goal.
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3 thoughts on “Bama to face Creighton in its first NCAA appearance since 2006”
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Where do you come up with this stuff? Bama is as far as I can tell a unanimous 1.5 point favorite over Creighton. Personally I wouldn’t put my money on them to beat the Sisters Of Mercy. But they are not as you put it expected by most everybody to lose. Does anybody know why Duron Carter was suspended? The last I heard was that he was eligible for the Nat Champ Game but wasn’t going to play except in an emergency because we didn’t want to waste a year of eligibilty. Lately I’ve been reading where he was suspended for the NC Game. What the hell, a year of bullshit over grades wasn’t enough for him? It’s for problem brats like him that 4 year scholly’s are bullshit. RTR!
All of the “experts” I heard on the CBS and ESPN bracket shows Sunday night projected Creighton past the Tide. Doesn’t mean it will happen, as I think Bama’s defense will be the difference.
As for Carter, I don’t think anyone knows that answer. He’s kind of like Area 51. We’ve all heard of it and believe it exists, but none of us have ever seen it or been there. Duron is the mysterious Area 51.
avell