Reigning Southeastern Conference Player of the Year Erwin Dudley, a senior forward, bypassed early entry in the NBA draft to return to Alabama. He's glad he did - for the first time ever, the Crimson Tide (9-0) are ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25. Dudley, eagerly awaiting the Tide's Jan. 4 visit from No. 21 Xavier, answered five questions from the Enquirer's Dustin Dow.

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1. Who is your athletic role model, and why?

My teammates. Guys like Kenny Walker. He's a great role model. He's always there to help me out. He goes out in the community and does things. He's a nice guy. He has a soft heart and he's a hard worker. And I could say that about all my teammates. They're nice guys. They work hard in school. They look out for each other. It's how a team should be, and I think that's why we're successful.

2. Who is the toughest player to go against and why?

Udonis Haslem (of Florida) is about the toughest. He's just a good post player. He knows how to get position. He knows how to post up.

3. What's the best thing about being ranked No. 1? Did you ever think you'd be in the position of being No. 1 in the nation?

I'd never thought about it. It's an honor to be No.1, to be the top school in the country. That's great. But also it causes you to have enemies. There will always be teams out there ready to knock you down off the top. And while it's fun, what matters is who's No. 1 when the season ends. That's when you want to be No. 1.

4. What are your New Year's resolutions? Anything like win the SEC or make the Final Four?

All of those! OK - stay healthy. Win the national championship and repeat as SEC Player of the Year.

5. To what NBA player are you most similar?

I don't know who I play like, but I do know who I would like to play like, and that's Hakeem Olajuwon. Hakeem throws that jump hook like no one can.