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Matt Norlander's rankings have Nate Oats and Alabama primed for another deep run

Related Topics: Nate Oats, Aiden Sherrell

Matt Norlander believes Alabama basketball will be a contender in the SEC again, thanks to an elite backcourt led by Labaron Philon.

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Quick: name the teams that have made the Sweet 16 or farther the last three seasons.

Hint: it's a small number.

Another hint: it's only one team.

That's right. Nate Oats and Alabama are the only team in the country to make the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament in each of the last three years. Buoyed by Labaron Philon's surprising return for his sophomore season, Oats and the Crimson Tide should be prime contenders to do it for a fourth straight year - and a fifth time in six years.