The\u00a0Alabama Crimson Tide\u00a0is headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time\u00a0under Nate Oats\u00a0and will be playing in the Midwest Region with a No. 4 seed, announced on Selection Sunday.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s the fourth consecutive season and fifth in the last six years that Oats has led Alabama to a No. 4 seed or higher, a feat the program had only achieved a total of four times in its entire history prior to Oats.<\/p>\n
Up first for Alabama \u2014 who does not play until Friday afternoon \u2014 will be a matchup with No. 13 seed Hofstra, who is fresh off the CAA Conference tournament title and had a record of 24-10 on the season.<\/p>\n
Should the Tide get by that test, waiting for them will be the winner between No. 5 Texas Tech and No. 12 Akron, where another win and a trip to the Sweet Sixteen would presumably set up a matchup with No. 1 seed Michigan.<\/p>\n
Interestingly, Alabama\u2019s region features four total teams from the SEC with Tennessee at the No. 6 slot, Kentucky at No. 7, and Georgia at No. 8.<\/p>\n
In total, 10 SEC teams are in the bracket with Florida taking the No. 1 seed in the South Region, Vanderbilt securing the No. 5 seed and Texas A&M the No. 10. Arkansas is the No. 4 seed in the West Region with the Missouri Tigers as the No. 10, there after they narrowly made the tournament field.<\/p>\n
Texas will take on North Carolina State in the first four for the right to earn the No. 11 seed in the West Region as well.<\/p>\n
All in all, it\u2019s shaping up to be a great tournament once again, and the SEC is heavily involved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"