This is an opinion column.

We’re a day away from May and there’s a real preseason buzz in the state of Alabama.

Top recruiting classes are merging with high-profile transfers while big-name returnees are grabbing headlines.

We’re talking basketball here.

And there’s real momentum for both Alabama and Auburn as rosters are starting to come into focus as expectations go from one-off celebrations to sustained success.

The news Monday of Grant Nelson’s return to Alabama for one final collegiate season just added to the momentum of these two as they rise in the preseason projections.

Almost two weeks earlier, it was Auburn All-American Johni Broome’s return that gave a jolt to the Tigers offseason.

Sandwiched in the middle was the transfer of former 5-star Aden Holloway from Auburn to Alabama which served as a lightning rod on both sides.

What an ending for a month of April that began with the Crimson Tide’s surprising run to the program’s first Final Four.

Now, anything short of a repeat would feel like a failure.

Just look at the rankings.

First, on the recruiting front, Alabama is up to No. 2 in the 247Sports composite for the 2024 class after former Kansas signee Labaron Philon committed Sunday. He’s the No. 32 player in the class set to join signees Derrion Reid (No. 15), Aiden Sherrell (No. 30) and Naas Cunningham (No. 43).

Auburn is No. 30 in the 247Sports recruiting rankings and 17th in the On3 board that has Alabama No. 3.

And that’s where the two separate themselves again.

Where Alabama’s on its annual roster rebuild with six outgoing transfers and three arriving, Auburn’s expectations come from its continuity.

The Tigers have three of its top five scorers back with Chad Baker-Mazara and Denver Jones joining Broome as returnees with five-star freshman Tahaad Pettiford and Furman transfer JP Pegues headlining the newcomers. In all, Auburn has three incoming players with outgoing transfers Tre Donaldson (Michigan), K.D. Johnson (George Mason) and Holloway (Alabama) headed elsewhere.

Add it all up and you’re looking at a pair of top-10 programs as the transactions continue. Keep in mind the biggest domino remains for Alabama as Mark Sears retained his ability to return to Tuscaloosa after declaring for the NBA draft.

The far-too-early preseason rankings — updated daily on some sites to reflect the comings and goings — certainly like both Alabama and Auburn.

CBS Sports’ forecast updated Monday has Alabama at No. 8 followed by Auburn at No. 9.

Over at On3, both were top-10 teams in Monday’s update. The Nelson return helped push the Crimson Tide to No. 3 — behind only Kansas and Houston and directly ahead of Duke and UConn — while Auburn checked in at No. 9.

The ESPN early top-25 is a few days old but Alabama is No. 6 there (up from 12th) followed by Auburn at No. 11 (up from 18th).

There’s still a lot of movement still to come as the transfer portal even as it’s about to close to new entrants.

Alabama reportedly had a high-priority target on campus Monday in 6-foot-11 Rutgers transfer Clifford Omoruyi. The center is the No. 8 player in the transfer portal rankings at On3 and No. 11 according to 247Sports. He’d be a huge pickup for Alabama considering it was a rim-protector away from being even more of a contender last season but Omoruyi is also reportedly visiting North Carolina this week.

Hypothetically, he comes to Alabama and Sears opts out of the NBA draft and the Crimson Tide hype train will kick into another gear. Even going 1-for-2 here would be another game-changer.

Auburn isn’t done either as On3 reports Clemson transfer RJ Godfrey is set to visit campus this week.

Regardless of what’s to come, a few things are clear.

Both Alabama and Auburn aren’t fading from the conversation anytime soon.

With the Tigers coming off an SEC tournament title and Alabama still basking in the Final Four run, expectations to at least repeat those banner-hanging achievements aren’t going away.

Neither is the buzz.

And it’s not even May.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.