Alabama Crimson Tide vs Kentucky Wildcats Picks and Predictions March 14th 2025

No. 5 Alabama Makes SEC Tournament Debut vs. No. 15 Kentucky

The stakes are high as third-seeded Alabama begins its SEC tournament run against sixth-seeded and No. 15-ranked Kentucky in a quarterfinal showdown on Friday night in Nashville.

Alabama Aims for Another SEC Title

The No. 5-ranked Crimson Tide (24-7) have won the SEC tournament twice in the past four seasons but have yet to turn that success into a deep NCAA Tournament run. Last year, they were eliminated in the first round of the conference tournament but made it all the way to the Final Four.

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Head coach Nate Oats is focused on adding another SEC championship to Alabama’s résumé.

“We’re going to try to win it,” Oats said. “We’ve won more championships in the SEC than everybody else since I’ve been here. This is a championship we’re trying to win.”

Alabama enters the tournament on a high note, coming off a thrilling 93-91 overtime win against then-No. 1 Auburn last Saturday.

Key Players to Watch for Alabama

The Crimson Tide are led by All-SEC first-team guard Mark Sears and standout freshman Labaron Philon, but their depth could be the key to success. Oats pointed to Aden Holloway, Mouhamed Dioubate, and Jarin Stevenson as X-factors.

“If we get all those guys playing their best basketball, we’ve got a pretty high ceiling,” Oats said.

Kentucky Survives Thriller Against Oklahoma

Kentucky (22-10) advanced to the quarterfinals by escaping with an 85-84 win over No. 14-seeded Oklahoma on Thursday. Otega Oweh was the hero, scoring 27 points and delivering the game-winning drive with just seconds remaining.

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“If you’re going to beat us, you have to kill us,” Wildcats coach Mark Pope said. “Now we get to run it back tomorrow.”

The Wildcats had built a 77-65 lead with 4:31 left before nearly letting it slip away. Koby Brea added 22 points, including a key 3-pointer late in the game.

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However, Kentucky lost guard Lamont Butler to a shoulder injury in the first half, and his availability for Friday remains in doubt.

Alabama Has Owned This Matchup

Alabama swept Kentucky in the regular season, winning 102-97 in Lexington on Jan. 18 and 96-83 at home on Feb. 22. The Wildcats will need a much-improved defensive effort to flip the script in the rematch.

“We’ve just got to build on this great momentum,” Oweh said. “Alabama is a great team, but we’ve just got to worry about us and what we do.”