This Sweet 16 matchup features two teams that love the 3-point shot. Alabama attempts 29.2 3-pointers per game, shooting 35%, and BYU attempts 28.5, making 37.4%.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats said that the Cougars play a similar style to his team.
“I don’t know that I want to say it’s refreshing to go against somebody that plays like us, because I think we’re really tough to guard, and we’ve led the country in scoring the last two years,” Oats said.
The Crimson Tide will need to limit BYU guard Richie Saunders, who averages 16.3 points per game and scored 25 points in his team’s 91-89 win over 3 seed Wisconsin on Saturday.
Alabama will once again face a tempo battle in the NCAA Tournament. BYU averages 70.8 possessions per game, 145tht in Division I, while Alabama averages 78.6 possessions, the highest in Division I.
The Crimson Tide will look to take advantage of BYU’s defense, which allows 71.4 points per game. Alabama will escape with the win in a high-scoring affair that sees the Crimson Tide move on to a second consecutive Elite Eight.
Prediction: Alabama 94, BYU 87
Where to watch: CBS
No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 1 Duke: 8:39 p.m. CT, Newark, New Jersey, Prudential Center
The storyline coming into this matchup is former North Carolina and now Arizona guard Caleb Love facing off against a former rival in Duke. Love notably hit a game-sealing 3 against the Blue Devils in the 2022 national semifinal to send the Tar Heels to the national championship game in what was legendary Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s final game.
Love also scored the game-sealing layup in his team’s 2023 matchup against Duke, where the No. 12 Wildcats went into Cameron Indoor Stadium and defeated the No. 2 Blue Devils 78-73. Duke defeated Love and Arizona 69-55 in their most recent matchup in November 2024.
Duke will look to defeat Love once again in what would be the final game of his college career. National player of the year finalist Cooper Flagg is averaging 16 points per game in the tournament thus far and will have another big game for the Blue Devils.
Love will look to get the last laugh against Duke, and his efforts will keep Arizona in the game, but won’t be enough to send his team to the Elite Eight. Strong performances from Flagg and guard Tyrese Proctor will help Duke move on to its second-straight Regional Final.
Prediction: Duke 85, Arizona 74
Where to watch: CBS
No. 2 seed Alabama vs. No. 1 seed Duke: Saturday, TBD, Newark, New Jersey, Prudential Center
Alabama could face its toughest test of the season in Duke. The Blue Devils score 83.2 points per game and are ranked No. 1 in net rating on KenPom. The team has the No. 4 defensive efficiency in Division I and allows opponents to score 60.2 points per game.
All-American Alabama guard Mark Sears must get going on offense in the East Region final. He has shot just 37.0% from the field and 11.1% from 3. Alabama will be tough to contain if Sears can get his shots to start falling.
The two teams will battle it out until the buzzer sounds, but Alabama will find Duke too tough to tame.
Prediction: Duke 84, Alabama 80
Alabama continues its March run with a Sweet 16 clash against BYU on Thursday. Tipoff is slated for 6:09 p.m. The game can be streamed on CBS.
