Over at USA TODAY Sports, Alabama moved up to a No. 1 seed, replacing the Tennessee Volunteers in the latest projections from the three-man panel of Eddie Timanus, Erick Smith and Paul Myerberg. The trio see Nate Oats’ team facing projected MAAC champion Marist in a first-round game.

The buzz around Khaman Maluach entering college centered on his 7-foot-2 size, incredible wingspan and ability to block shots. While he's been a deterrent for opponents around the rim -- Duke ranks second in 2-point defense nationally -- Maluach is also starting to come on as a consistent offensive piece.

There was change at the top of this week's USA TODAY Sports Bracketology with Alabama rising to a No. 1 seed at the expense of SEC rival Tennessee.

UConn and Kansas opened the 2024-25 season as the teams with the best odds of winning the 2025 NCAA Tournament. Those two programs were followed by Duke, Alabama, Houston to round out the top five. UConn currently has the 17th-shortest odds (45-1) to win the tournament,

Duke, Auburn, and Alabama lead championship odds with strong potential. Despite setbacks, missing the Final Four could disappoint given their depth and talent.

Alabama men's basketball entered this past week at No. 4 in the AP Top 25 Poll and No. 3 in the Coaches Poll while eyeing home games against Vanderbilt and LSU. The Crimson Tide took down the Commodores 103-87 on Jan.

In one of the most turbulent weekends of the season so far, five of the top ten teams in Friday's Bracketology projected 2025 NCAA Tournament bracket lost. However, when everyone loses, sometimes nobody loses.