Alabama basketball had a full fight on its hards from the Clemson Tigers in this year’s ACC/SEC Challenge at Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa last week.
After getting out to a 19-point lead in the first half, the Crimson Tide had to come from behind in the final 10 minutes of the second half to survive a scare from a team that has been to back-to-back NCAA Tournaments, but had to replace most all of its 2024-25 roster.
Alabama closed the game on a 9-1 run to defeat the Tigers, 90-84, and then took care of UTSA in a 97-55 rout at Coleman Coliseum on Sunday.
Labaron Philon and freshman London Jemison scored 20 points apiece against UTSA, and transfer guard Jalil Bethea tied a career high with 21 points in his first meaningful action since transferring from Miami.
Bethea played 22 minutes against the Roadrunners and knocked down five of 10 shots from 3-point range, one game after making his season debut.
After a 2-0 week, here’s where Alabama basketball is ranked in this week’s USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.
Where is Alabama basketball ranked in new USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll?
Alabama is ranked No. 12 in the Week 6 USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, the same spot as last week. The Crimson Tide are ranked one spot behind No. 11 Louisville and one spot ahead of No. 13 Illinois.
Alabama basketball schedule 2025
Alabama will face the second-ranked team in the nation, the Arizona Wildcats (8-0), at the C.M. Newton Classic Saturday night at Legacy Arena in Birmingham. Arizona rose one spot to No. 2 as the Michigan Wolverines (8-0) grabbed the No. 1 spot for the first time this season.
Tipoff for Alabama-Arizona is 8:30 p.m. CT. The game can be seen on ESPN.
The Wildcats received 11 first-place votes after their 97-68 blowout win over Auburn in Tucson on Saturday. Arizona was ranked No. 13 in the preseason Coaches Poll, three spots ahead of Alabama.
USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll: new team at No. 1
The full Week 6 top 25 rankings in the USA TODAY Sports men’s basketball coaches poll are below.
| Rank | Team | Record | PTS | 1st | Prev | Chg | Hi/Lo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michigan | 8-0 | 755 | 17 | 2 | +1 | 1/7 |
| 2 | Arizona | 8-0 | 742 | 11 | 3 | +1 | 2/13 |
| 3 | Duke | 10-0 | 723 | 2 | 4 | +1 | 3/5 |
| 4 | Iowa State | 9-0 | 651 | 1 | 9 | +5 | 4/18 |
| 5 | UConn | 8-1 | 628 | 0 | 5 | – | 3/7 |
| 6 | Purdue | 8-1 | 617 | 0 | 1 | -5 | 1/6 |
| 7 | Gonzaga | 9-1 | 565 | 0 | 11 | +4 | 7/20 |
| 8 | Houston | 8-1 | 547 | 0 | 7 | -1 | 2/8 |
| 9 | Michigan State | 8-1 | 517 | 0 | 8 | -1 | 8/21 |
| 10 | BYU | 7-1 | 507 | 0 | 10 | – | 7/11 |
| 11 | Louisville | 8-1 | 456 | 0 | 6 | -5 | 5/12 |
| 12 | Alabama | 7-2 | 436 | 0 | 12 | – | 9/16 |
| 13 | Illinois | 7-2 | 371 | 0 | 15 | +2 | 8/15 |
| 14 | Vanderbilt | 9-0 | 365 | 0 | 16 | +2 | 14/NR |
| 15 | North Carolina | 8-1 | 341 | 0 | 17 | +2 | 15/25 |
| 16 | Texas Tech | 7-2 | 277 | 0 | 19 | +3 | 11/20 |
| 17 | Arkansas | 7-2 | 245 | 0 | 23 | +6 | 15/23 |
| 18 | Florida | 5-3 | 213 | 0 | 14 | -4 | 3/18 |
| 19 | Kansas | 7-3 | 208 | 0 | 21 | +2 | 19/NR |
| 20 | Tennessee | 7-3 | 170 | 0 | 13 | -7 | 13/20 |
| 21 | St. John’s | 5-3 | 138 | 0 | 22 | +1 | 6/22 |
| 22 | Nebraska | 9-0 | 114 | 0 | NR | +6 | 22/NR |
| 23 | Iowa | 8-1 | 77 | 0 | 25 | +2 | 23/NR |
| 24 | Auburn | 7-3 | 76 | 0 | 24 | – | 22/NR |
| 25 | Virginia | 8-1 | 67 | 0 | NR | +8 | 25/NR |
Schools Dropped Out
No. 18 Kentucky; No. 19 Indiana;
Others Receiving Votes
Saint Mary’s 52; UCLA 35; Oklahoma State 33; Wisconsin 32; USC 20; Seton Hall 16; Indiana 16; Kentucky 14; SMU 11; Missouri 7; Clemson 7; Ohio State 6; Georgia 5; Miami (FL) 4; LSU 4; Utah State 3; Yale 2; California 1; Baylor 1;
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama basketball learns Coaches Poll ranking, with new team at No. 1
