Basketball in Alabama has a pretty underrated fan following to go with a fairly underrated history of success. We know hoops will always rate second in Tuscaloosa, and the Crimson Tide have been trying to find a way to break through a barrier to reach its first Final Four.
When Johnson hired, it was an outside-of-the-box move, but he’s mostly maintained the same level of success as his predecessor, Anthony Grant. Grant had one KenPom Top-30 finish in his time on the job, but mostly had the Tide in the fifties and sixties of the ratings. Johnson has kept that stability while slowing infusing his recruits and overhauling the roster.