Alabama had a scare in their first round matchup versus 15 seeded Robert Morris, at one point trailing with just seven minutes before ultimately taking the lead and holding on to win 90-81. On the other end, Saint Mary's defeated Vanderbilt after overcoming a double digit second half deficit and holding off a late push by the Commodores to win 59-56.
This matchup between the Crimson Tide and Gaels will pit two very different styles of play against one another. Alabama plays at one of the fastest paces of any team in the country, while Saint Mary's is one of the slowest teams in the country from a pace standpoint.
Fresh off a third-place finish in a historically good SEC, Alabama is looking to one-up their Final Four appearance last season with an even deeper run in the tournament this year, and much of that will ride on the shoulders of senior guard Mark Sears, who leads the Crimson Tide in both scoring and assists. Alabama's lead rebounder, Grant Nelson, shook off a knee injury and played late in the second half of Friday's win over Robert Morris, and looks set to be back and healthy for Sunday's tilt against the Gaels.
Saint Mary's is in the midst of another impressive season, sitting at 29-5 overall and having won the outright WCC regular season championship by three games. Augustas Marciulionis is the leader of this Gaels team, as he leads the team in both scoring and assists, much like Mark Sears. Despite the immense amount of success the Gaels have had under coach Randy Bennett, they haven't advanced out of opening weekend in the NCAA Tournament since 2010, and they are looking to snap that streak that this year with a win over a highly talented Crimson Tide team.
How to watch Alabama vs. Saint Mary's
- Date: Sunday, March 23
- Time: 6:10 p.m. ET
- Venue: Rocket Arena (Cleveland, OH)
- How to Watch (TV): TNT
- Streaming: fubo TV
- Alabama record: 26-8
- Saint Mary's record: 29-5
Alabama vs. Saint Mary's odds, spread and total
Odds provided by FanDuel Sportsbook.
Moneyline
• Alabama -230
• Saint Mary's +188
Spread
• Alabama -5.5 (-110)
• Saint Mary's +5.5 (-110)
Total
148.5 (over -115/under -105)
Alabama injury report
Latrell Wrightsell Jr, G - Out (Achilles)
Saint Mary's injury report
N/A
Alabama vs. Saint Mary's prediction
With the two very differing styles of play matchup against one another in this game, it has the potential to get very interesting. How will Alabama respond to a slower game pace by Saint Mary's? How will Saint Mary's respond to Alabama's faster pace of play?
Alabama's play in their first round game versus Robert Morris was certainly a cause for concern, and it was tough to overlook some of the Crimson Tide's defensive struggles. While Alabama has continued to look strong on offense, Saint Mary's elite defense has the potential slow them down a bit on the offensive end, and will require the Crimson Tide to take a step up on defense should they want to win this one.
For the Gaels, they'll need to avoid going on long scoring droughts offensively, as just one scoring drought could be enough to fully tilt this game into the Crimson Tide's favor. The Gaels will need to remain stout defensively and prevent the Tide from getting into a good rhythm on offense. While they did overcome a 12 point second half deficit in their first round game versus Vanderbilt, it will be way tougher for them to be able to do that against a team like Alabama.
With the two clashing styles of play, whichever team can control the pace of this game will likely be in position to win and advance to the second weekend. The Gaels have plenty of sleeper potential in this game, and it would not be a shock to see them pull off the upset. But Alabama is loaded with talent across the board and is finally healthy again. This should be a close one, but ultimately, the Crimson Tide's talent and experience is just enough to sneak by the Gaels and advance to the Sweet 16.