The Newest AP Poll Confirms What Some Of Us Knew Much Earlier, Alabama Is The Best Basketball Team In The Country

Well well well ... Took nearly the whole season to make it official but the boys in Tuscaloosa have become the Number 1 team in the country.  The top spot in the polls has really been Purdue's all year with Houston alternating in a few times. Purdue and Houston are both excellent , excellent teams. In a year where the criticism of the nation is there aren't many elite teams, Purdue and Houston are in the (less than a)  handful of teams that can be called Elite. The other team that always seemed to be in that conversation of elite .. is Alabama. And anyone with a working set of eyeballs can see why. 

For all the stat nerds (like me) Alabama passes the tests. 13th in Offensive Efficiency, 5th in Defensive Efficiency. First in the country in 2pt defense, 2nd in the country in 3pt defense. They also pass the basic tests ...  7-2 against Quad 1 teams, undefeated in the SEC, and have went and won tough road games. Now you could throw all the stats you want out there , and analyze those etc, when it comes down to it the biggest thing that jumps off the screen is very basic ... THEY ARE LOADED WITH TALENT. 

Brandon Miller is the most pro ready player in the country. Zach Edey is phenomonal and will win Player Of The Year (check out my interview with him), but in terms of who will be the first player taken off the board from a college team this year ... it's Brandon Miller, 

He's so good he impresses himself. 

Big, physical, can. get to the cup, lights out shooter, and a solid solid defensive presence. He's not afraid to take big shots, and he's not afraid to put the team on his back when they need a bucket. He's been compared to Paul George and Kevin Durant on broadcasts and interviews. 

He's terrific. 

Noah Clowney is also predicted to go in the First Round this year. The gaurds the Tide have are interchangeable and equally as dangerous. Mark Sears, Jaden Bradley, Jahvon Quinerly, and the emerging Rylan Griffen. Nimari Burnett is one of the best defenders in the country. Bigs like Charles Bediako and Nick Pringle are solid, and getting better as the year goes on. 

All year people have asked about super teams, and with the next level talent in Tuscaloosa, maybe Alabama really is the only Super Team in the country … 

The Tide will have a big test against a Tennessee team who just got burnt twice at the buzzer , in Knoxville so the top spot in the polls very may be just for one week. A tough road environment against a desperate team is a tall task, but regardless of the result, in a year where their seem to be very few elite teams, Alabama is clearly one of them both analytically and with the eye test. Its' great some people are realizing it this late in the season, but some of us knew a while back.