Alabama basketball: 3 keys to beating UNC Tar Heels in Sweet 16 matchup

3) Limit RJ Davis’ offensive impact

To win, Alabama will need to limit what RJ Davis does on the offensive end of the court. I know… much easier said than done. Many have tried, but only a few have succeeded. Davis has been one of the most consistent scorers in the country all season, and it only makes sense that his impressive season continues well into the NCAA Tournament.

Like I said before, only a handful of teams have been able to slow down the scoring machine that is RJ Davis. He has more games with 20 or more points this season than games in which he has scored under 20 points. Davis has been held under 20 points in only 13 games this year and has only scored less than 10 points twice.

North Carolina relies heavily on RJ Davis to get its offense going, he averages a little over 26 percent of the teams' shots, but he isn’t the only player on the team capable of taking on the bulk of the scoring load. He is the most talented and consistent player on the team but others have the skills to step up.

I don’t know if Alabama has what it takes defensively to completely stop RJ Davis. I like Alabama's chances of pulling off the upset if the Tide can force North Carolina into running its offense through someone other than Davis.

I know UNC has some sets they run through other players, but if the Tar Heels have to think about where the offense needs to go, then it might provide a buffer for Alabama and help out its defense. Either way, it will be a challenge for Nate Oats and company, but nobody has been immune to upsets this season, so I wouldn’t be surprised if Alabama knocked off the 1-seed Tar Heels.