No. 2 seed Alabama takes on No. 15 seed Robert Morris in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday from Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The Crimson Tide opened as a 22.5-point favorite in the contest in its fifth consecutive trip to the tournament.
Pace
The Crimson Tide plays at the fastest pace in the country, making it difficult for teams to prepare for tempo. Robert Morris, on the other hand, plays at the 141st highest pace, meaning that it will take a great shooting day paired with elite rebounding to be competitive in this game.
Rebounding
Both teams are very good on the glass, ranking within the top 40 in the country.
Alabama, ranked 20th, has made dominance on the boards a staple of its game, as the stat weighs heavily in the players’ competition to win the blue collar hard hat each game.
Robert Morris ranks 37th nationally in rebounding, and similar to Alabama, this team emphasizes crashing the boards and getting a significant effort from its guards on the glass.
The battle at the boards could be key to victory for either team. Both squads pride themselves on winning the rebounding battle in a given game. Controlling possession, limiting scoring opportunities and creating second-chance scoring through rebounding will be critical for both teams.
Defense
If Robert Morris wants to be competitive in this game, it will have to improve drastically on its 205th-ranked allowed 3-point percentage. The team’s lack of size compared to Alabama will also be a problem when on defense, as the Crimson Tide can drive to the basket at will with little resistance.
To make matters worse for the Colonials, they are tasked with attempting to score on an Alabama defense that outsizes them and has shown improvement throughout the season.
Outlook
The Crimson Tide should roll in its first game of the tournament. Upsets happen, but the difference in pace alone should be enough to knock Robert Morris out of the bracket.
Alabama’s tournament run will begin Friday at 11:40 a.m. CT and the game can be streamed on truTV.
