Alabama
Alabama players celebrate on the court after an NCAA college basketball game against Texas A&M in the finals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament, Sunday, March 12, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)

Alabama takes on San Diego St. in Sweet Sixteen

Jamie Goldman March 24, 2023 Basketball, College Basketball, NCAA, NCAA Tournament, SEC 2,049 Views

The Alabama Crimson Tide will face the San Diego State Aztecs Friday in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament. Fanduel sportsbook currently has Alabama favored to win by 7.5 points.

Alabama season at a glance

The Crimson Tide ended the regular season with a record of 26-5 and were ranked the No. 1 team in all of men’s college basketball. Alabama then went on to win the SEC tournament, earning a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.

Alabama has been led by freshman forward Brandon Miller. He leads Alabama in points (19.1 PPG) and rebounds (8.2 RPG) per game. Miller is expected to be a top five pick in the NBA draft this summer and is regarded as one of the most talented players in college basketball.

San Diego State season at a glance

The Aztecs finished the regular season with a record of 24-6 and ended as the No. 18 team in the NCAA. They then went on to win their second conference tournament in three seasons. This was good enough to earn a No. 5 seed in the NCAA tournament.

San Diego State is led by veteran guards Matt Bradley and Lamont Butler. Bradley leads the Aztecs in scoring, averaging 13 points per game. Butler leads San Diego State in assists (3.3 APG) and steals (1.5 SPG) per game.

Alabama on the road to the Sweet Sixteen

The Crimson Tide have dominated their first two games of the NCAA tournament. The Tide made easy work of 16 seed Texas-A&M-CC in their first matchup, winning by a score of 96-75. Alabama picked up right where they left off in their next matchup, beating eight seed Maryland by 22 points.

The Crimson Tide will look to stay hot as they face San Diego State Friday.

San Diego State’s road to the Sweet Sixteen

Friday’s game against Alabama will without a doubt be the Aztecs toughest test of the tournament thus far. In their first round matchup they faced No. 12 seed Charleston. In a close game, the Aztecs were able to get the win 63-57. They found their groove in their next matchup, defeating Furman 75-52.

Furman was not ranked top 25 in college basketball at any point during the entire season. The highest ranking Charleston received all season was 18.

Now the Aztecs must face a team that finished the regular season ranked No.1 in all of college basketball. San Diego State must play their best game if they want to hang around with a team as talented as Alabama.

Alabama and San Diego State tip-off Friday at 6:30 at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Kentucky.

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