Alabama entered the 2026-27 season as the No. 20 team in the AP Top 25 and was tied for No. 18 in the Coaches Poll.

The Crimson Tide beat Sam Houston at home in the season opener on Nov. 3, and then followed it up with another win at Coleman Coliseum over Arkansas State.

Following these victories, Alabama moved up to No. 18 in the AP Top 25 and No. 16 in the Coaches Poll

This story will be updated with the full AP Top 25 and Coaches Poll

The Crimson Tide cruised past Arkansas State 101-86 at home on Nov. 6. Things were looking a bit worrisome for Alabama in the first half, but a 14-0 run to close the opening period immediately shut down the idea of an upset, and momentum stayed in the Tide's direction throughout the second half. Amari Allen logged the fifth triple-double in program history, as he helped Alabama grab 25 offensive rebounds — the most in a game under Oats.

The Crimson Tide cruised past Sam Houston 96-74 at home in its season opener on Nov. 3. Alabama forced Sam Houston to turn the ball over 23 times, the most takeaways by UA since 2012. Oats wasn't too pleased with his team's performance in the first half, but the Tide came out of the break on a 16-2 run and never looked back. It was a balanced scoring night for the Tide with seven players scoring 8 points or more. Returning sophomore London Jemison and Boise State transfer Drew Fielder led the charge with 15 points apiece.

Alabama Basketball's 2026-27 Season in the Polls

• Preseason: No. 20 in AP Poll, No. 28 in Coaches Poll
• After Week 1 (Sam Houston win, Arkansas State win): No. 18 in AP Poll, No. 16 in Coaches Poll