Paul Finebaum believes Alabama is 'unlikely' to go on a run in NCAA Tournament

Alabama has lost three of its last four games, and Paul Finebaum doesn’t expect the backslide to stop. During an appearance on “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” the SEC Network analyst weighed in on the Crimson Tide’s chances in the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s hard to come up with a reasonable explanation of why they should make a run,” Finebaum said. “Yeah, they can get get out of Friday, but I think their odds of getting deep are pretty slim now. I thought they were gonna win it all last year.

“I really don’t like the way they’re playing. You can have a bad game in the SEC tournament and still make a serious run and maybe get to the Final Four, but you can’t be trending this badly and expect to get much out of it.”

Alabama is set to square off against No. 13 seed Charleston in the opening round of the Big Dance. Charleston is a dangerous foe. Nearly half the team’s field-goal attempts come from beyond the arc, and they’re extremely deep, as well.

Nonetheless, Alabama has been relatively impervious to significant upsets this season. The Crimson Tide went undefeated against non-Power Five opponents this year before entering conference play. Alabama’s pace is certainly difficult to match.

The team averages 90.8 points per game, the most in the country. If the Crimson Tide do escape the first weekend, things won’t get any easier. With teams like North Carolina, Arizona and Baylor in its region, Alabama will have to walk through fire to reach the Final Four.

Before looking at any dark clouds gathering on the horizon, Alabama head coach Nate Oats wants his team to enjoy the experience in front of them.

“At the end of the day, there’s a lot of distractions around the NCAA Tournament, which makes it great. It’s the best sporting event on the planet,” Oats said. “Over a three-week stretch, it’s all eyes in the world in sports are all on this. It’s an unbelievable sporting event that these guys will remember for the rest of their lives.

“But, there’s 40 minutes where the best team is going to come out on top, and there’s another 40 minutes where the best team comes out on top. The best thing we can do is eliminate all those distractions as much as possible, enjoy the environment and the moment without letting it be a big distraction.”

Alabama will begins it journey through the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 7:35 p.m. ET against Charleston. The game will be broadcast on TruTV.