Hey SEC: Send Duke to Alabama basketball in next year’s SEC/ACC challenge | Smarr

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Alabama basketball is due for a visit from a blueblood in next year’s SEC/ACC Challenge. The SEC needs to take note of this and make it happen.

The Crimson Tide took down UNC in the house Dean Smith built this past week, so why not send Duke to the house that coach Nate Oats is building in Tuscaloosa?

No. 12 Alabama (7-2) nabbed its first program win in Chapel Hill by double digits on Wednesday, but UA has never gotten the chance to face the No. 9 Blue Devils (6-2) in Durham.

In fact, Alabama and Duke have faced off just once in over 110 seasons for each team. It wasn’t in Coleman Coliseum, either.

Dec 4, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats reacts in the second half at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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The 2013-14 season saw the powers meet for the first and only time in the NIT Season Tip-Off at Madison Square Garden, back when the Mike Krzyzewski era was going strong and UA was still operating under now-Dayton coach Anthony Grant.

Coach K took down UA, 74-64, on the way to an NCAA Tournament appearance.

Alabama finished the year 13-19 − the program’s last losing record.

It’s a new era for Alabama basketball

Oats wouldn’t arrive until six seasons later, and oh, how the times have changed for Alabama basketball since.

Today, Alabama vs. Duke is a marquee matchup, and UA has done enough to be lauded as a basketball school while featuring a football program that’s won 18 national championships.

After the 94-79 win at UNC, Oats said, “I think the league decided they want to be good in basketball.”

Granted, there’s a long way to go before UA can join the likes of Kentucky, but the Crimson Tide should be given every chance possible to show it can become the league’s second blueblood.

UA proved itself time and…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/hey-sec-send-duke-alabama-200326691.html

Author : The Tuscaloosa News

Publish date : 2024-12-05 20:03:00

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