The Alabama Crimson Tide are fresh off a football championship. Now, their men’s basketball program is 13-3 overall and 8-0 in SEC play.

Coach Nate Oats’ team lights it up from beyond the arc, leading the SEC in 3-pointers made. On Tuesday night, they’ll take on a Kentucky team that has struggled in 2020-21.

So, are the Crimson Tide legitimate national championship contenders? SEC Network broadcaster Tom Hart weighed in on that topic during Tuesday’s “The Paul Finebaum Show”:

“Yes, they can win it,” Hart said. “They have great guard play. They have a style of play that can keep you going. They play good defense. They can beat any team on any given night. In the NCAA Tournament, you’re going to be asked to do that one night. You’re going to be asked to survive a bad night, and I think their defense can allow them to do that. And you’re going to be asked to beat someone that maybe you shouldn’t, and they have the firepower to do just that.”

Kentucky and Alabama tip off at 7 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN. We’ll see then if the Crimson Tide, who are up to No. 9 in the AP Poll, can improve to 9-0 in SEC action.