NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 Preview: Can San Diego State Slow Down Alabama?
The NCAA Tournament is back underway, and we have a contrasting matchup that should intrigue on Friday night in the Sweet 16. Top-seeded Alabama and 5-seed San Diego State will face off in Louisville as both teams seek their first Final Four in school history. We break down a few talking points we will be keeping an eye on in the matchup.#5 San Diego State vs. #1 Alabama Game Information
- Location: KFC Yum! Center – Louisville, KY
- Time: 6:30 p.m. ET | TV: TBS
Alabama has cruised into the second weekend as the tournament’s top overall seed, but they face their biggest test on Friday night against San Diego State in the Sweet 16. Despite coming out of the Mountain West Conference, the Aztecs showed their capability of competing with high-major programs during the non-conference season. They notched wins over Ohio State and Stanford while competing with Arizona and taking Arkansas to overtime. San Diego State can play, and they can keep this one close.
The disparity between these two comes from the talent level of each team. The Aztecs are certainly greater than the sum of their parts in head coach Brian Dutcher’s defensive-minded system. This team ranks fifth in the nation in defensive efficiency and doesn’t seem to have any NBA-ready players on its roster. The Crimson Tide are loaded with pros that boast size, athleticism, and shotmaking that no other team in the country possesses. It all starts with projected top-three pick Brandon Miller, who leads all freshmen in the nation in scoring at 19.1 points per game.
This game has the classic dichotomy of how to build your college program. This is a younger Alabama team, starting four underclassmen and relying on elite recruits to bring them to cutting down the nets in April.
The Aztecs represent the long-term program build with a mix of returning players in Matt Bradley and Nathan Mensah, while Darrion Trammell and Micah Parrish are impactful portal pickups. Every starter is an upperclassman, and the team relies on hard-nosed defense to keep them in games.
Will talent win out, or will experience and age show their value in March? Friday will be an interesting talking point in the sport’s ongoing debate on roster construction.
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