TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama is stuck in a surprising three-way battle for the division title and still clinging to its season-long spot in the national rankings.<br>
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But the 25th-ranked Crimson Tide has put together two strong outings, building confidence even in a loss at then-No. 1 Florida.<br>
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``Our team feels better about themselves as far as how we're playing, even in the two games that we lost,'' Tide coach Mark Gottfried said Monday. ``There was a period when we weren't playing very well.''<br>
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The preseason Southeastern Conference Western Division favorite, Alabama (19-7, 6-6) finally got something to show for that improved play with a 72-61 win over Kentucky Saturday in a division with no wiggle room. It was enough to keep the team at No. 25 in the Associated Press rankings released Monday.<br>
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The Tide, which visits Tennessee on Wednesday night, enters its final four games tied atop the West with Mississippi and Mississippi State. Every team in the division could finish in any one of the six spots.<br>
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Alabama had lost two straight games before the win over the Wildcats, both after blowing second-half leads, making the Tide look like an NCAA tournament bubble team.<br>
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But it was hardly the worst stretch of the season.<br>
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That came in January when Alabama lost three of four games, including defeats of 20-plus points at Auburn and Vanderbilt.<br>
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``In early January, we weren't very good,'' Gottfried said after the Kentucky win. ``It wasn't one thing, it was a lot of things. I think we're just getting better. Our team's a little more confident now than it was, for whatever reason. Hopefully we can continue that.''<br>
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The Tide is 7-2 with its current starting lineup with Brandon Hollinger joining Ronald Steele at guard, a combination that effectively handled Kentucky's full-court pressure.<br>
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Plus, freshman guard Justin Tubbs played a season-high 24 minutes and scored nine points off the bench.<br>
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Judging by that game, Steele's gimpy ankle appears to be improving. He had 15 points and seven assists while taking only seven shots.<br>
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``He hasn't had very many games where his line has looked that good this season,'' Gottfried said. ``It appeared that he had more quickness the other day. We're a different team with him healthy. He was a preseason first-team All-American that has struggled this year. Any time you get a player like that back it's a tremendous boost.''<br>
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The Tide gets another boost from the Kentucky game, fighting off several rallies in the second half. That's something Alabama couldn't do against Ole Miss or Florida.<br>
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``I like how we finished the game,'' Gottfried said. ``We did do a better job in the Kentucky game. We put ourselves in position to win in the Florida game and the Ole Miss game, and we didn't. That's something we talked about being a lot better basketball team late in the game.''
