How to watch UConn men’s basketball vs. Alabama in the Final Four
GLENDALE, Ariz. – Alabama head coach Nate Oats, much like his friend Dan Hurley, manufactures motivation for his players based on criticism he’s seen online. Before every NCAA Tournament game, the Crimson Tide watches a 1-minute video mashup, a “highlight reel” point guard Mark Sears called it, of negative comments about the team.
“Somebody cuts up clips of all the big media guys and what they’re saying. They even had Big Chuck (Charles Barkley, an alum of in-state rival Auburn) saying negative stuff about us, saying how we were frail,” Sears said, laughing. “That gave us some fire right there.”
Much of the talk heading into the Final Four has involved NC State’s fan favorite center D.J. Burns, Zach Edey’s dominance at Purdue and UConn’s chance to go back-to-back, leaving Alabama largely overlooked.
“We see what everybody’s saying about us in the media, ‘They had the easiest route to get here,’ ‘They’re lucky,’ all of this stuff,” Sears said. “We love it. We love to prove people wrong and we love to feed off their energy.”
Alabama (25-11) lost four of its last six games coming into March Madness. The Crimson Tide have the No. 346 scoring defense in the nation (81.1 points allowed per game) and made it to the Final Four by outscoring opponents with its No. 1 scoring offense (90.6 points per game), which includes 30.1 3-point attempts per game, fourth-most in the nation.
Led by the 6-foot-1 Sears, averaging 21.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists, shooting 43.4% from 3, Alabama beat No. 13 Charleston (109-96) and No. 12 Grand Canyon (72-61) before taking down No. 1 North Carolina, 89-87, and No. 6 Clemson, 89-82, in the Sweet 16 and the Elite Eight to cut the nets in Los Angeles.
“I think we match up well with them,” UConn forward Alex Karaban said. “I think the guard matchup’s really gonna be a good one and then the frontcourt, they have a terrific frontcourt too that I don’t think gets enough credit. It’s gonna be a great matchup, I think we’ve just got to lock in on the 3-point shot. They’re dangerous from 3, if they get hot it’s a scary team to play against.”
Alabama’s Grant Nelson, a 6-11 forward who averages 11.6 points and a team-high 5.6 rebounds per game, scored only three points in the first two rounds but went for 24 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks in the Sweet 16. Nick Pringle, 6-10, was quiet for the first three tournament games but had 16 points and 11 rebounds in the Elite Eight.
UConn, with the No. 1 offense per KenPom, has taken its fourth-ranked defense to another level in the tournament, allowing 53.5 points per game and no more than 58. It will be key to advancing on Saturday night.
“Besides (focusing on Alabama’s shooters) we’re gonna play the same game we always play,” point guard Tristen Newton said. “Defense, rebounds and share the ball and we’re gonna be fine.”
What to know
Site: State Farm Stadium, Glendale
Time: Approx. 8:49 p.m. ET
Series: UConn leads, 2-0
Last meeting: Nov. 25, 2022 – UConn 82, Alabama 67 at the Phil Knight Invitational
Records: No. 1 UConn: 35-3, No. 4 Alabama: 25-11
TV: TBS – Ian Eagle, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill and Tracy Wolfson
Radio: UConn Sports Network on FOX Sports 97.9 – Mike Crispino and Wayne Norman
Pregame reading:
Dom Amore: For UConn men, women, all roads inevitably led to the the Final Four
UConn men’s basketball program doesn’t shy away from legacy talk as it returns to Final Four
Florida’s 2007 repeat came in ‘totally different environment’ than UConn is facing at Final Four
Donovan Clingan, No. 1 pick? UConn men’s basketball players rocketing up NBA draft boards
