The Alabama Crimson Tide are on the verge of making it to the national championship game. They have already made history when they defeated the Clemson Tigers in the Elite Eight round to garner the program’s first-ever ticket to the Final Four.
Now, Alabama has its sights on barging into the grand finale of the Big Dance, though, passing the test in the national semifinals against the reigning and defending national champions UConn Huskies is going to be easier said than done.
Alabama Crimson Tide Head Coach Nate Oats Shares Thoughts on Matchup vs. UConn Huskies
One thing Alabama does so well this season and put points on the board. The Crimson Tide are the No. 1 scoring team not just in the SEC, not just in the tournament, but in the nation. They are averaging 90.6 points per game on a 56.3 effective field goal percentage — 10th nationally. Even with all their scoring prowess, Nate Oats knows it’s going to take more than good offense for his team to overcome UConn in the Final Four.
“I don’t think we’re going to assume we’re a terrible defensive team and just try to outscore UConn, Oats said via Theodore Fernandez of WVUA 23 Sports. “That’s a recipe for disaster… I don’t think you can try to beat UConn 120 to 118.”
UConn can beat teams in a variety of ways. The Huskies can win either with their offense or defense. After all, UConn is tops in the nation in adjusted offensive efficiency (126.7) and fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency (91.5). Meanwhile, the Crimson Tide are third in adjusted offensive efficiency (125.8), but are just 105th in adjusted defensive efficiency (102.6).
More must-reads: