Still, Alabama (24-7, 13-5 SEC) was on folks' minds two games before the returning Final Four team even takes the court at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. FOR THE RECORD BOOKS: Where does Alabama basketball rank historically among SEC schools?

If things break the right way in Nashville this week, Alabama and Auburn could meet for the SEC tournament championship. Games between the Crimson Tide and Tigers have been a fairly rare occurrence in the 65 SEC tournaments we’ve seen since the event was first played in 1933 (the tournament was done away with in 1953 and resumed in 1979).