By Chris Marler
The SEC went 4-3 on Friday. Here were the biggest stories from the day.
Alabama: Survive and advance or issues ahead?
Alabama survived a scare in round one against 15-Seed Robert Morris. Alabama never found a way to pull away from them, as they struggled to extend any lead over 12 all game. Robert Morris even led with just over five minutes to go 65-64.
The deficit was enough to wake up the Tide, who were able to pull away immediately after. That was primarily thanks to some favorable calls, RMU going 1-for-9 after gaining the lead, and some late game heroics from Grant Nelson.
The good news? Alabama shot just 28.6 percent from three and their starters were just 2-of-13 from deep. This year’s Alabama team isn’t as “live by the three, die by the three” as past teams. That was evident today with the win. However, the bad news? Their inability to rebound was a huge issue getting outpaced 16-5 in offensive rebounds. That won’t get any easier, as their next opponent St. Mary’s was second in the country this year in offensive rebounding.
Saint Mary’s is trying to reach its first Sweet 16 since 2010, when the Gaels upset No. 2 seed Villanova after Villanova was taken to the wire by… Robert Morris. https://t.co/lzzFXrAsIq
— Mike Rodak (@mikerodak) March 21, 2025
Florida is good
That is all. It’s an evergreen statement at this point. The Gators started their 2025 NCAA tournament with a 53 point first half performance. It was the first in program history. Walter Clayton did Walter Clayton things and scored 23 points. Florida won by 26 and afterwards brought up how bad they performed in the second half. They are built differently and at this point seem like they’re on a collision course with Duke for the title.
Biggest win for the conference so far
Of the eight wins the SEC has racked up so far in round one, the biggest for optics was Ole Miss over UNC. The two biggest complaints from the committee’s selections this year have been: North Carolina getting in and the SEC getting 14 teams in. North Carolina should have never been in the tournament in the first place.
The optics for the SEC falling to .500 in the tournament with a loss to the one team everyone agreed shouldn’t have been in would have been Christmas in March for the anti-SEC crowd. That narrative would have been even louder, as well as more valid, if Ole Miss blew a 22 point lead to UNC. The Rebels tried to do just that, but were able to pull out a win and send the Tar Heels home.
