Alabama Earns No. 1 Seed For First Time, Will Open NCAA Tournament In Birmingham

TUSCALOOSA, AL — A few hours after the Alabama men's basketball team won its second Southeastern Conference Tournament title in three years on Sunday, the Crimson Tide (29-5, 17-2 SEC) received the overall No. 1 seed and the No. 1 seed for the South Region in the upcoming NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

Click here to subscribe to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts.

The distinction marks the first time in program history Alabama has received both No. 1 bids, with the Tide looking to advance to a Final Four for the first time.

The announcement was made Sunday evening during ESPN's NCAA Tournament Selection Show, with the Tide set to take on either Southeast Missouri State or Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday in Birmingham's Legacy Arena — the first time the Magic City has hosted the first two rounds of the Big Dance since 2008.

In total, the SEC will host six tournament games in Birmingham, which will be separated into three sessions.

Have a news tip or suggestion on how I can improve Tuscaloosa Patch? Maybe you're interested in having your business become one of the latest sponsors for Tuscaloosa Patch? Email all inquiries to me at ryan.phillips@patch.com