Despite Alabama football’s season ending in the Rose Bowl, there are still plenty of sports at the Capstone to enjoy.
Men’s basketball is coming off a disappointing exit in the 2023 NCAA tournament but is led by a soaring offense in 2024. Women’s basketball is looking to continue its recent success after also appearing in the NCAA tournament in 2023. Lastly, gymnastics is ranked among the premier teams in the country, fighting for its first national championship in over 10 years.
Here is a synopsis of the top Alabama sports to watch this winter.
Men’s basketball
The Alabama men’s basketball program, which won its second SEC championship in the past three seasons in 2022-23, is off to a 11-5 start in the 2023-24 season, as of Jan. 15. The Crimson Tide men’s team faced a gantlet of a schedule in the out-of-conference portion of the season with games against No. 1 Purdue, No. 22 Creighton and No. 8 Arizona.
Despite the five-loss start, KenPom has Alabama as the seventh-ranked team in the NCAA, boasting the country’s top offense. Senior guard Mark Sears and Hofstra transfer Aaron Estrada are the backcourt leaders for the Crimson Tide, averaging over 13 points a game.
Ahead of Alabama’s SEC home opener against South Carolina, Nate Oats said he hopes students will support the Crimson Tide.
“We need everybody to come out and just get the energy in the building so our players play a little harder,” Oats said. “Our players hopefully will be playing with maximum effort and giving the fans a show that they deserve to see when they come to watch us play.”
Must-attend game: Jan. 24 vs. Auburn — Auburn and Alabama are off to high-flying starts, ranked in the top 10 in KenPom and the NCAAM NET Rankings. Both teams are contending for the national title; however, with the Iron Bowl of basketball comes the right to claim to be the top basketball team in the Yellowhammer State.
Women’s basketball
Before 2021, Alabama’s women’s basketball team had yet to make March Madness since 1999. The Crimson Tide program has gained heavy momentum, making the NCAA tournament twice in the past three seasons.
When asked about the critical factors of continuing the team’s recent success, head coach Kristy Curry said multiple interconnected elements are crucial.
“The foundation is laid on the court, in the classroom and in the community,” Curry said. “It’s this time, it’s this team’s turn for that. I think that the expectations, that’s what it’s about at Alabama.”
The women’s team is off to a high-flying start with a 15-4 record, as of Jan. 15 (2-2 in SEC play). The Crimson Tide is led by senior guard Sarah Ashlee Barker, who’s in her second season with Alabama after transferring from Georgia. Barker is averaging 16 points a game to start the season.
Must-attend game: Jan. 18 vs. LSU — Alabama faces a major test as the defending national champion LSU Tigers, led by legendary head coach Kim Mulkey, come to Tuscaloosa. The Tigers have two box office superstars, Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith; both are projected to be selected in the first round of the WNBA draft.
Gymnastics
The hype in Coleman Coliseum doesn’t stop after basketball, as in the program’s 50th season, gymnastics is looking to continue its growth in its second season under head coach Ashley Johnston.
In 2023, the Crimson Tide made a run in Johnston’s first season but bowed out of the NCAA tournament in the Sweet 16.
The 2023 team boasts graduate student Luisa Blanco, who will compete in the 2024 Tokyo Olympic Games for Colombia. The Dallas, Texas, native qualified for the Summer Olympics via the 2023 Pan American Games. In 2023, alongside Blanco, graduate student Makarri Doggette and junior Lilly Hudson were voted All-Americans.
The Crimson Tide won its first season meet at the Mean Girls Super 16 Gymnastics Championships over schools like UCLA, California and Auburn with a final score of 197.125.
Before the season opener, Johnston said the team was looking forward to the long season ahead.
“We cannot wait to finally be competing,” Johnston said. “We’ve had a great preseason, working and growing together as a team, but this is where all the hard work and excitement pays off.”
Alabama hosts Arkansas on Friday, Jan. 19, in Coleman Coliseum.
Must-attend meet: Feb. 2 vs. Kentucky — The Crimson Tide will be looking for revenge when Kentucky comes to town. In last season’s NCAA tournament, the Wildcats knocked off Alabama in an upset to advance to nationals for the second time in that program’s history.
