Alabama Basketball: 3 keys to beating San Diego State in Sweet 16 matchup

Win on the glass

Alabama, as a team, does so many things well on the court. The Tide have one of the country’s best offenses and they also defend well, but the one aspect of the game in which they excel is rebounding. On the season Alabama averages over 44 rebounds per game. Alabama’s offensive pace allows for more rebounds, and the Tide make the most of these opportunities grabbing roughly 7 more rebounds per game than their opponents.

San Diego State also rebounds the ball well, averaging 36 rebounds per game. As mentioned before the Aztecs like to play at a slower pace than the Tide. This allows them to stay in games against higher-scoring teams like Alabama, but if they aren’t able to slow the game down by grabbing rebounds they will be in trouble.

Alabama uses defensive rebounds to get up the court quickly leading to early buckets. And the Tide are one of the best teams in the country when it comes to bringing in offensive rebounds, grabbing almost 13 per game. All of these offensive boards lead to second-chance points, giving the Tide yet another scoring opportunity.

If Alabama continues to rebound as well in the NCAA Tournament as they have all season, it will be hard for any team to beat them. San Diego State included. The Tide know their strengths and knows how to leverage them against their opponents.