The D1 Docket, a clearinghouse for D1 basketball scheduling, has allegedly obtained a pre-release of the 2022-2023 SEC schedule for all teams based on one of their anonymous sources. While we don’t have the dates yet, D1D purports to have an idea of whom the Tide will draw in conference play.
Be cognizant of the fact that this is an unverified report of a leaked schedule. It could be jenkem; it could be legit: I honestly don’t know, and we do not stand by the facts therein, just our analysis of them. That throat-clearing aside, let’s take a look at the schedule and break it down a bit:
Per source, @TheD1Docket has obtained the 2023 SEC Opponent pairings. Teams will play 5 opponents home & away, 4 home only, 4 away only.
— The D1 Docket (See pinned tweet Docket link) (@TheD1Docket) June 25, 2022
Alabama
H: Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Ole Miss
H/A: Arkansas, Auburn, LSU, Miss St, Vandy
A: Mizzou, South Car, Tenn, Texas A&M
The Good:
By the grace of Latrell Sprewell, there’s just one meeting this year against the Lexington bullies. Even better, it’s a true home game instead of having to play 8-on-5, as normally occurs when the Tide travels to Rupp Arena for its annual castration by the Wildcat.
With coaching turnover at LSU and Mississippi State, as well as the defection of some key players in Baton Rouge, the Tide stands a decent shot at pulling off a four-game series-sweep against the Tigers and Bulldogs.
Two of the worst teams in the league come to Tuscaloosa: Georgia and Ole Miss. That is meaningful Alabama has shown that it is capable of not getting off the bus at times in roadies vs. bad opponents. Let’s hope they don’t sleepwalk against the Rebs and Dawgs. Gimmes should translate to gimmes...rather than the bad losses we saw last season.
Like a third of the conference, the Gamecocks also are replacing their coaching staff this season. Alabama has traditionally played well in Columbia, but a new staff and a marginal team only ups the chances of a road win for the Tide.
Just one meeting with the Gators too, and like Kentucky, it’s a true home game. The Gators are outstanding in the O-Dome. With UF also breaking in a new coaching staff, the Tide stands a good chance to pick up a quality name-brand home win.
The Bad:
Alabama has two meetings again with Arkansas, Vanderbilt and Auburn. Two of those are self-explanatory: Arkansas will be a Top 10 team this season, and Auburn will again field a talented squad drawn from elite transfers: Those are four very tough games, and two are made more difficult because Alabama has historically played awful on the Plains and in Fayetteville.
For that reason, we include Vanderbilt. Not that the ‘Dores are expected to be anything other than a bottom-third squad, but rather the road trip to Memorial has proven daunting to talented Alabama teams before. For two decades, it was a cursed gym. The superstitious out there may fear a loss in Nashville (Parker especially lives in fear of Vandy voodoo).
Fresh off of a defenestration of ‘Bama on the Tide’s Senior Night, Aggie gets a home visit from the Tide, where Buzz seems to finally be piecing together something of a respectable program. The Ags are big, tall, physical, and love bodying up — a style of play that has been a boondoggle for some of Alabama’s lankier wings. The fact this is on the road compounds that difficulty. Then again, this is exacly the sort of game Nimari Burnett was built to win.
That Tennessee road trip, man. And depending on how early in the season it is, it could be an ugly one. The Vols will again field a Top 10 program keyed by their post game and relentless defense.
The Ugly:
Road game against Mizzou. Yes, it’s another team with another new head coach, but for whatever reason, Alabama has added CoMo to a list of cities that host a House of Horrors for ‘Bama Basketball. It’s Auburn-, Rupp-, Arkansas-bad. The Tide don’t just get off the plane and lose; they have been absolutely ass-blasted by bad Mizzou teams that get red hot for 40 minutes. I would expect nothing different this season, no matter how good or bad the respective combatants may be.
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So, there you have it: what is alleged to be the Tide’s hoops schedule in the SEC this year. There are some challenges, of course. But in terms of degree of difficulty, if this holds up, it may actually be one of the most favorable slates that ‘Bama has seen in several years.
Take our poll, chime in below, and Roll Tide.
Poll
Alabama’s roughest game of the season will be...
This poll is closed
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13%
Road loss vs. Tennessee
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32%
Road loss vs. Auburn
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32%
Road loss vs. Arkansas
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9%
Road loss vs. Mizzou
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7%
Home loss vs. Kentucky
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3%
Other: below
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