Alabama Upset by Ole Miss, Bounced from SEC Tournament Early

No. 2 seed Crimson Tide fall to No. 15 seed Rebels in quarterfinals

Mar. 14, 2026 at 1:49am

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The Alabama Crimson Tide, the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament, were upset by the No. 15 seed Ole Miss Rebels 80-79 in the quarterfinals on Friday in Nashville. Alabama, which had gone 8-1 to close out the regular season, struggled defensively in the first half and could not overcome the deficit despite a strong performance from star guard Labaron Philon, who scored 28 points.

Why it matters

Alabama was projected as a 3-seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament, but this early exit in the SEC Tournament raises questions about their postseason prospects. The loss also continues a trend of top seeds struggling against lower seeds in conference tournaments.

The details

Alabama entered the game as heavy favorites, but Ole Miss took advantage of a poor defensive effort from the Tide in the first half to build a double-digit lead. Alabama's offense improved in the second half, led by Philon's 28 points, but they could not overcome the deficit. Alabama struggled from 3-point range, making just 9-of-29 attempts after averaging 12.8 made 3s per game during the regular season.

  • The game was played on Friday, March 14, 2026 in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals in Nashville.

The players

Labaron Philon

The star guard for Alabama finished with 28 points on 9-of-16 shooting, along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists.

Latrell Wrightsell Jr.

Alabama's sharp-shooting guard was held scoreless for the first time this season, going 0-of-5 from the field in 23 minutes of play.

Nate Oats

The Alabama head coach acknowledged his team's poor defensive effort in the first half, telling the Crimson Tide Sports Network, "Defense was awful. I mean, too easy. No resistance."

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What they’re saying

“Defense was awful. I mean, too easy. No resistance.”

— Nate Oats, Alabama Head Coach

What’s next

Alabama will learn its NCAA Tournament seeding on Sunday, March 16th. The Tide entered Friday's game projected as a 3-seed, but this upset loss could impact their tournament positioning.

The takeaway

This early exit from the SEC Tournament is a disappointing result for an Alabama team that had been playing well to close out the regular season. The Crimson Tide will need to regroup quickly to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, where they will face increased scrutiny after this surprising upset loss.