Alabama basketball played a tight game with Florida in the first half of Saturday’s SEC Tournament semifinal before fading in the second, losing 104-82. With the loss, the Crimson Tide’s dream of a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament is likely dead.

ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi suggested Saturday’s game would be crucial for those purposes.

“The Florida-Alabama winner should be the fourth and final No.1 seed,” Lunardi wrote in an update ahead of Saturday’s action.

However, the Crimson Tide is likely locked into a No. 2 seed, after beating Kentucky Friday in the quarterfinal round, to open its SEC Tournament. Ahead of Saturday’s game, Lunardi had the Crimson Tide as the top No. 2 seed in his bracket, placed in the Midwest region, with Houston ahead of it.

Lunardi’s projection placed the Crimson Tide playing in Lexington for its first and second-round games. He had Alabama facing Montana in the first round, for a chance to play the winner of No. 7 St. Mary’s vs. No. 10 Arkansas.

CBS Sports bracketologist Jerry Palm also had the Tide as a No. 2 seed on Saturday. Palm placed Alabama in the east region, behind Duke.

Like Lunardi, Palm placed the Crimson Tide in Lexington for the first two rounds. He had UA playing Wofford in the first round, with a chance to face the winner of BYU-Vanderbilt.

As for Florida, Palm agreed that the Gators likely locked up a No. 1 seed with the win over Alabama. Michigan State lost to Wisconsin Saturday in the Big Ten Tournament, strengthening the Gators’ case.

Florida and Tennessee will play for the SEC Tournament championship on Sunday. Alabama will find out its postseason fate when the NCAA Tournament bracket is revealed on CBS.

The NCAA Tournament selection show is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. CT Sunday. The NCAA Tournament will begin Tuesday with the First Four, before the main event gets underway Thursday.