re: Tide Hoops | 31-6 (16-2)

quote:

---

I think Miami beats Houston tomorrow

---

I can see that.

I have Houston in the championship game against Alabama, but I'd rather my bracket be completely wrong (already is in many places) if it means Alabama finishes up with something like SDSU, Princeton, FAU and Miami.

Also UConn; rather not play them. They are playing very well and beat us so convincingly. Of course our freshman are not so wet behind the years anymore.
10rC: our bigs don’t get into foul trouble , we’ll spank ‘em!

Miami has no answer for Houston’s bigs. Unless they shoot absolutely lights out, they’re not beating Houston.

SI write ups

Everything Nate Oats, Alabama Basketball Said Ahead of SDSU

Oats fielded questions from reporters alongside players Brandon Miller, Mark Sears and Jahvon Quinerly.


Everything Brian Dutcher, SDSU Basketball Said Ahead of Facing Alabama

The Aztecs are set to face the Crimson Tide in the Sweet 16 on Friday.


Alabama Basketball Sweet 16 Practice Report

A breakdown of Alabama basketball's open practice availability before the Crimson Tide's Sweet 16 game against San Diego State.


One-Third Done: Alabama's Focus Heading Into Sweet 16

Every Alabama player except Jahvon Quinerly is making his first Sweet 16 appearance, but it is just the next step in the journey.

I'm so nervous yet so excited

Final Preparations Put in Place as Crimson Tide Holds Final Practice, Meets with Media Thursday Afternoon

The Crimson Tide spent approximately 90 minutes on the KFC Yum! Center floor ahead of Friday’s contest vs. No. 5 San Diego State

Alabama Team Notes
* For the first time in program history, Alabama earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament
* Alabama is looking to advance to its second NCAA Tournament Elite Eight appearance with a victory over San Diego State
* The only other occurrence came in 2004 the then-No. 8 seed Crimson Tide, with the help of current assistant coach former guard Antoine Pettway, defeated No. 9 Southern Illinois, No. 1 Stanford and No. 5 Syracuse before falling to eventual national champion and second-seeded UConn in the regional final
* The Crimson Tide has reached the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 for the second time under Nate Oats and ninth time in program history
* Oats has a record of 10-3 (.769) in his 13 postseason games at the helm of the Crimson Tide
* This year marks the second time in three years that Oats has led Alabama at a No. 2 seed or higher in the tournament (No. 2 seed and Sweet 16 appearance in 2021)
* Out of the Tide's 36 contests, 20 games (14 teams) were played against teams that reached the NCAA Tournament with UA holding a 16-4 (.800) record in those contests
* Oats has a record of 4-2 in NCAA Tournament games as the head coach at Alabama and owns a 4-5 (.444) record across his five previous tournament appearances as a head coach
* Oats has guided his teams to NCAA Tournament appearances in six of the seven years the event was held during his coaching career, including each year as the Tide's head coach (tournament was cancelled in 2020 due to the worldwide pandemic)
* Alabama captured both the SEC regular season and tournament championships in the same year in two of the last three years, the first time that's happened in program history
* Alabama has won a program-record 31 wins this season, surpassing the 2001-02 team for most wins in a single season (27)
* Alabama's newcomers have scored 2,243 of UA's 2,963 points (75.7%) this season

San Diego State Team Notes
* The Aztecs are making their 15th appearance in the Division I event, owning an 8-14 all-time record
* Head coach Brian Dutcher has been on the Aztec sidelines for 19 of the program's 22 all-time tournament games and all eight of the program's victories, including his first as the program's head coach in the team's first round game last Thursday
* This is the fourth NCAA appearance for Brian Dutcher, the two-time Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year, in his six seasons as head coach with a likely appearance in the 2019-20 event, canceled because of the COVID pandemic
* San Diego State owns a 105-22 record (82.5 percent) since the start of the 2019-20 campaign. That's the third-best record in the nation, trailing Gonzaga's 119-12 (90.7 percent), and Houston's 116-21 (84.6 percent), and ahead of Baylor's 103-24 (81.7 percent) and Kansas' 111-26 (81.6 percent) records.
* San Diego State won its 21st game at Fresno State on February 15, marking the sixth straight season the Aztecs have reached that win total
* San Diego State has played in the South Regional on three occasions (2013, 2015 & 2023) and has advanced to the round of 32 in each of those appearances
* San Diego State has won 57 of last 62 games when leading at the half             

quote:

---

but on the other hand Alabama basketball

---

I understand but this team is different than any previous team. It's never had a shooter like Miller mixed with a number of other very good players, with easily the best strategic and tactical coach they've ever had. The defense is elite. Just wish that they had a more reliable 3rd and 4th scorer and that the backup PG (Bradley) can play 10-12 productive minutes. The positive thing about the 3rd and 4th scorers is that they're not always needed and if so, there are 7 legitimate candidates (Clowney, Sears, Chuck, Griffen, Pringle, Gurley, Burnette), though most have been inconsistent of late.

It is also facing a path easier than any previous Alabama team has faced. Alabama has had an incredibly star crossed draw in the past: historic Indiana in 76, NC with Worthy, Perkins and Jordan in 82, outstanding Bama teams that almost won both of those games, Pitino's UK in 86, scalding hot (14-20 70% from 3)/Final 4 Providence in 87, Bo Kimble's ULM in 90, number 2 Ark in 91, hot though under-seeded UCLA in 2021. All of those games in the Sweet 16 and all close except for Prov and Ark.

Now the number 1 seed overall, as opposed to the past when Bama usually under-achieved during the reg season and got bad seeds meaning you are more likely to play highly seeded teams earlier.

Have said for years that Alabama needs a NYC PG, well they have essentially that with JQ. Pettway, who has the toughness and fearlessness of a NYC PG, lead the worst S16 team of Bama's history to its only Elite 8. Former walk-on who is close to my favorite player of all time who had only a little talent but was amazing with the heart of a lion - he had no fear. JQ has talent too.

UConn is good