Alabama basketball is set to play North Carolina on Nov. 27 in the first round of the 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis.
The Crimson Tide are certainly on the most challenging side of the bracket, with either Michigan or Iowa State awaiting in the next round.
Gonzaga vs. Southern Miss and Oregon vs. Seton Hall are the other two first round matchups.
Sources: Matchups for the 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis are set.
Michigan/Iowa State
North Carolina/Alabama
Gonzaga/Southern Miss
Seton Hall/Oregon— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 11, 2019
The Tar Heels hold a 5-4 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools, with the most recent meeting coming in 1991.
Nate Oats should have the talent needed to give the Tide a shot at making the NCAA Tournament this season, as several key contributors return to go along with a top 20 recruiting class.
Lovell’s Analysis
Well, playing a preseason top 10 team in one of the best non-conference tournaments in the nation is quite a scheduling addition for Oats in his first season.
Roy Williams once again has a lot of talent on the North Carolina roster, and this is the type of matchup that will test Alabama early on.
There will undoubtedly be an adjustment process to the new playing style, and with the Tar Heels also wanting to get up and down the floor, both teams might hit the 90-point mark in this one.
But Oats has a versatile roster to work with, a potential run to the Battle 4 Atlantis title is certainly a possibility.
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.