With a spot in the final game of the 20024 NCAA Tournament on the line, No. 1 seed Yukon and No. 4 seed Alabama will meet for the second time in the Final Four on Saturday night, with the winner advancing to Monday's national championship game. The Huskies are two wins away from winning back-to-back championships since Florida in 2006 and 2007, but will have to slow down the Crimson Tide team, the highest-scoring team in the nation.
Alabama has reached the Final Four for the first time in program history, but it won't be daunted after defeating another No. 1 seed, a historic powerhouse in North Carolina, in the Sweet 16. The Crimson Tide then rallied to defeat No. 6 seed Clemson. The second half was a monster Elite Eight.
UW won 10 straight games in the NCAA Tournament by double-digit margins, dating back to last year's historically dominant national championship record. The Huskies pulled away from the Fighting Illinois on a 30-0 run, making No. 3 seed Illinois its latest victim in the Elite Eight.With key players Tristen Newton, Alex Karavan and Donovan Clingan returning from last year's title run, the Huskies are well aware of the pressure of this moment.
UW vs. Alabama: What you need to know
Cling Kong: In seven postseason games, UW center Donovan Clingan is averaging 14.9 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 3.1 blocks on 66.2 percent shooting. The 7-foot-4 sophomore has established himself as a potential lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after recovering from a foot injury early in the season. He has been unstoppable lately and is a defensive force that will be difficult for Alabama to deal with when the Crimson Tide is looking to attack the rim.
Coaching connections: Just 15 years ago, UW's Dan Hurley and Alabama's Nate Oats were successful high school coaches. When Hurley was promoted to head coach at the University of Rhode Island, he helped discover Oats. Hurley and his brother Bobby, who was an assistant at the University of Rhode Island, had scouted one of Oats' players at Romulus High School in metro Detroit. In the process, they became impressed with Oates. When Bobby Hurley took the job as Buffalo's head coach in 2013-14, he got his big break by hiring Oats as an assistant.
mark sears mania: Alabama guard Mark Sears had an incredible season, averaging 21.5 points on 43.4% 3-point shooting. The 6-foot-1 senior is the Crimson Tide's top overall star, averaging 4.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He made seven 3-pointers in Bama's Elite Eight win over Clemson and eight in December's loss to Purdue. He started it all for Alabama and is not afraid of the big stage.
How to watch UConn vs. Alabama live
date: April 6th | time: 8:49 p.m. ET
position: State Farm Stadium — Glendale, Arizona
tv set: TBS, TNT, truTV | Live stream: march madness live
University vs. University of Alabama predictions, picks
Odds from SportsLine Consensus
Alabama gets almost all of its points from behind the rim and the 3-point line. UConn is adept at eliminating both of these sources of attack. The Huskies outperformed the Big East in 3-point defense, holding opponents to just 29.3% from deep. Donovan Clingan is so difficult to score at the rim that college defenders sometimes get overly aggressive and force Alabama players from the 3-point line. The Huskies' 7-foot-2 sophomore center is a shot-blocking machine and has played at an elite level in the postseason. Offensively, the Huskies' multifaceted attack will be a big challenge for Alabama's shaky defense. Prediction: UConn -11.5
parrish | Norlander | palm | patterson | Boone | cob | |
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Yukon -11.5 |
Yukon -11.5 |
Yukon -11.5 |
BAMA +11.5 |
Yukon -11.5 |
Yukon -11.5 |
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