Alabama men’s basketball will embark on its fourth straight Sweet 16 appearance on Friday, facing 1-seed Michigan. Here’s an in-depth preview of the Midwest Regional semifinal.
The matchup will feature two teams with high-flying offenses. Both squads run fast-paced attacks that score in droves. Alabama averages 91.6 points per game, which leads Division 1, but will have to contain a Wolverines offense that scores 87.4 points per game, the fourth-highest in Division 1.
Head coach Nate Oats said after his team’s win over Texas Tech that Michigan has “maybe been the most dominant team in the country” this season. He added that his squad will need to be ready to go against the Wolverines.
The Crimson Tide has struggled on defense this season, allowing opponents to score 83.2 points per game. The team has found rhythm on defense to open the NCAA tournament, though, limiting opponents to 67.5 points per game.
Michigan will also feature something the Crimson Tide has seen sparingly since its embarrassing 100-77 loss to Florida in Gainesville: height. The Wolverines’ starting frontcourt consists of 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara, 6-foot-9 forward Morez Johnson Jr. and 6-foot-9 forward Yaxel Lendeborg, who leads the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game.
With just two available centers in Aiden Sherrell and Noah Williamson, Alabama may struggle to contain Michigan’s paint presence. The Crimson Tide allowed 72 points in the paint to a Gators team that led Division 1 in rebounds per game with 45.1.
Oats said that his team knows it gives itself a chance against Michigan if its guards perform the way they did against the Red Raiders and its frontcourt steps up.
Sherrell rested the final 11 minutes of the Texas Tech game with four fouls, which could allow him to better compete with Mara and Johnson on the glass. Sherrell has averaged 12.5 points per game in the Big Dance thus far and snagged a team-leading 15 rebounds in the win over Hofstra.
Oats said that Sherrell was “the last guy we could afford an injury from” before a tough matchup with the Wolverines’ frontcourt.
Michigan’s strong offense and size-heavy frontcourt won’t be the only concern for Alabama, as the Wolverines sport the second-most efficient defense in Division 1, per KenPom. The Crimson Tide’s offense struggled down the stretch in a 96-75 loss to Arizona, which possesses the third-most efficient defense per KenPom.
If the Crimson Tide is to win this game, it must get strong production from its stout starting backcourt of Labaron Philon Jr. and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. The Wolverines allow opponents to put up 25.8 attempts per game and a 30.8% rate from deep, which could benefit Alabama’s triple-heavy offense that attempts 33.7 triples per game and makes 36.2% of them.
“We’re gonna give it everything we got,” Oats said. “Michigan is not gonna be easy. We’ve been underdogs before in this game. We’ve come out with some big wins in the past.”
Alabama will continue its NCAA tournament run Friday night against Michigan. Tipoff is set for 6:35 p.m. CT and can be seen on TBS.
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