(WHNT) — The Associated Press’s preseason Men’s College Basketball poll was released on Monday. So, where did AP voters rank the Tide and the Tigers ahead of the 2025-26 season?
Alabama will open the season ranked No. 15, and Auburn will kick things off at No. 20. The two teams join Florida, Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee to represent the SEC in the preseason top 25.
Coming off back-to-back Elite Eight appearances, the Crimson Tide and Coach Nate Oats are returning guards Labaron Philon Jr., Aden Holloway, and Latrell Wrightsell. Alabama went 28-9 in 2024-25, earning a 2 seed in the NCAA tournament before they were bounced by Duke in the Elite Eight.
The Tide will open play in T-Town vs. North Dakota on Nov. 3.
The Auburn Tigers are coming off a Final Four run that ended a season where they spent eight weeks at No. 1, but the team will have a new coach at the helm and only one player returning from that squad in Tahaad Pettiford.
Auburn added 10 new players this offseason.
The university announced that it had hired Steven Pearl as head coach last month, shortly after his father, Bruce Pearl, announced his retirement after 11 seasons as Auburn’s head coach.
Steven Pearl, 38, has been an assistant with the program since 2017, most recently serving as the associate head coach for the past two years. He joined his father at Auburn in 2014 as an assistant strength and conditioning coach. Steven has been involved with Auburn during Bruce’s entire tenure.
Auburn will open its season on Nov. 3 at home versus Bethune-Cookman.
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