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NCAA basketball power rankings: Way-too-early college basketball Top 10 for 2021-2022

By Mike Phillips

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 30: Cody Riley #2 of the UCLA Bruins defends a shot by Hunter Dickinson #1 of the Michigan Wolverines during the first half in the Elite Eight round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 30, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 30: Cody Riley #2 of the UCLA Bruins defends a shot by Hunter Dickinson #1 of the Michigan Wolverines during the first half in the Elite Eight round game of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium on March 30, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /

4. NCAA Basketball Rankings: Alabama Crimson Tide

The biggest surprise of the season in the SEC was the emergence of Alabama as a superpower. Head coach Nate Oats supercharged the Crimson Tide’s program in his second season, molding Alabama into an offensive juggernaut thanks to the team’s deep arsenal of athletes and shooters.

The loss of SEC Player of the Year Herbert Jones will be tough to swallow and the absence of key role players such as Alex Reese and Jordan Bruner can’t be understated. The good news for Alabama is that the Crimson Tide still have a loaded roster headlined by their terrific backcourt of Jaden Shackleford, Jahvon Quinnerly and John Petty Jr.

That backcourt should get even stronger with the addition of freshman point guard J.D. Davison, a five-star recruit who should add even more juice to the Crimson Tide’s offense. Oats also looks to have found a gem in junior college transfer Langston Wilson, a 6-foot-9 forward who can attack the rim, shoot from the perimeter, and defend multiple positions.

This year’s NCAA Tournament experience should also pay dividends for Alabama, which now has experienced some of the pressure of facing a win-or-go-home situation. The Crimson Tide are set up well to spend most of the upcoming season inside the Top 5.