Southeastern Conference

Kalen DeBoer and Hugh Freeze are finding it's awfully hard to win in the Southeastern Conference these days. Now, they can try to beat each other. DeBoer caps his first regular season with the 13th-ranked Crimson on Saturday against Freeze’s Auburn Tigers, with the team’s league championship hopes dashed and playoff chances severely damaged.

Alabama men's basketball guard Labaron Philon has been named SEC Freshman of the Week, announced the Southeastern Conference on Monday. Philon is a native to Mobile and is ranked as the No. 30 overall recruit by ESPN, No. 32 by 247Sports and No. 33 by On3 in the class of 2024.

The No. 22 Alabama women's basketball team remains defeated after a victory over Alcorn State (1-3) in an 88-59 on their home court in Tuscaloosa inside Coleman Coliseum. Thursday's win followed the Tide beating Norfolk State on Wednesday.

The annual Alabama-LSU rivalry is Exhibit A this weekend for how the expanded College Football Playoff has changed what constitutes a high-stakes game in November. Both teams have two losses and neither has a top 10 ranking.

Alabama A&M linebacker Medrick Burnett Jr. remains hospitalized after sustaining a head injury during a game. Burnett was still in the hospital on Tuesday, according to an Alabama A&M spokesman.

Diego Pavia and the surprising Vanderbilt Commodores are set to visit disappointing Auburn. The Commodores are a win away from becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 2018. The Tigers must win three of their last four to make a bowl after finally picking up their first Southeastern Conference victory against Kentucky.

Alabama is coming off the program’s first Final Four run and hoping for even more this season. Coach Nate Oats' team opens the season ranked No. 2 in the AP Top 25 and favored to win the Southeastern Conference championship. Expectations soared when All-America guard Mark Sears and forward Grant Nelson both opted to return.

The Auburn Tigers open the season with high expectations, especially with the return of All-Southeastern Conference big man Johni Broome. The Tigers rank 11th in the preseason AP Top 25 and are picked to finish second in the SEC.

Alabama is the Southeastern Conference favorite in basketball, not football. John Calipari is leading a team with high expectations, just not at Kentucky. And Texas and Oklahoma are along for the ride now, too.

Alabama is the favorite to win the Southeastern Conference men’s basketball championship, led by preseason player of the year Mark Sears. The Crimson Tide, ranked second in the AP’s preseason Top 25, are coming off the program’s first Final Four run.