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The Alabama Crimson Tide and UConn Huskies are on a collision course at the 2024 Final Four, which will take place at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Apr. 6. Dominating the competition has been a common theme for UConn, and they will pose a massive threat to Alabama's chances of winning the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
The No. 1 overall seed Huskies are on an 11-game winning streak dating back to the regular season last February.
The manner in which Dan Hurley and the Huskies (35-3) are defeating their competition in the NCAA tournament is staggering, finishing their games with an average margin of victory of 27.8 points from the First Round to the Elite Eight. With their reputation for annihilating their opponents as of late, UConn will be a tough roadblock for any team that faces them in March Madness.
No. 4 Alabama (25-11), like UConn, is no slouch either. Placing second in one of the toughest conferences in college basketball, the Southeastern Conference (SEC), the Crimson Tide have proven doubters that they are a formidable team. In the NCAA tournament, Alabama has beaten the College of Charleston, Grand Canyon, North Carolina and Clemson on their way to the Final Four.
Let us break down each team's strengths and weaknesses as they face off for the opportunity to advance in the national championship game.
Breaking Down Alabama's and UConn's Strengths and Weaknesses
Although single-game eliminations are hard to predict, one off-shooting night could spell disaster for any team. Having a thorough analysis of each team's strengths and weaknesses could be a key guide in making an educated prediction.
Alabama has impressive firepower shooting a lot of threes and has the potential to score big against any Division 1 team. The team has the best strength of schedule rating (11.43), which means that the Crimson Tide measured well against quality opponents this season.
The Crimson Tide are ranked No. 1 in the country in points scored with an average of 90.6 per game this season. Their offensive rating (121.3) is second best in the NCAA. We're starting to see a trend in the team's offensive prowess.
On the other end of the ball is a different story for coach Nate Oats and Alabama. Their strength is putting the ball into the hoop, while their weakness is stopping their opponents from scoring. The Crimson Tide rank 306th out of 362 teams (81.1 pa/g) in points allowed per game.
There are certain outliers defensive-wise for Alabama, like when they defended well against the North Carolina Tar Heels, keeping them at bay in the second half of their Sweet Sixteen matchup with only 33 points scored. Grant Nelson was phenomenal on defense in this game, blocking five shots, including huge defensive plays in crunch time.
UConn is probably the most well-rounded team on both ends of the floor. Unlike Alabama, the Huskies are one of the best defensive teams in college basketball. They do a good job of limiting the field goal percentage of their opponents (39% average per game), ranking sixth in the nation, and fourth best in defensive efficiency with their opponents only scoring 91.5 points per 100 possessions.
The team looks for the best opportunities to score by finding the open man, No. 3 in assists per game (18.7), and they do it efficiently with limited turnovers, ranking the best in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.91). In adjusted offensive efficiency, the Huskies have averaged 126.6 points per game in 100 possessions, ranking No. 1 in the country.
Finding a weakness for UConn is like finding a needle in a haystack. The team is 315th out of 362 teams in adjusted tempo. Teams can slow the pace down and try to limit the number of possessions, however, that is not Alabama's style of play as they prefer an up tempo game.
Alabama and UConn prediction and odds to win
In the past two seasons in the NCAA tournament, the Huskies went an impressive 10-0 against the spread (ATS), and their strength on both sides of the ball could finally slow down the hot streak Alabama has going on in March Madness.
Prediction: UConn Huskies (-11.5, Under 160.5)
How to watch Alabama and UConn?
The Alabama vs. UConn Final Four men’s basketball game is set to air live at 8:49 p.m. ET on TBS, TNT and truTV this Saturday, Apr. 6.
Ian Eagle will serve as the play-by-play commentator in this matchup, joined by analysts Bill Raftery and Hall of Famer Grant Hill. Tracy Wolfson is the sideline reporter for the game.
The winning team will advance to the national championship game on Monday, Apr. 8 at the State Farm Stadium.
Can the Alabama Crimson Tide pull-off the massive upset against the best overall seed in the NCAA tournament?
