March Madness: Power ranking the Sweet 16 teams left in 2024 NCAA Tournament

9. Alabama Crimson Tide

Alabama entered the NCAA Tournament with the highest-scoring offense at over 90 ppg but also the worst-scoring defense at over 80 ppg. Yes, it partly has to do with the high pace of play but they also just haven’t defended well at times, inside and out.

It showed in the first-round game against College of Charleston, allowing 96 total points, 62 of which were in the second half. The good news is that the game was largely over early on, with the Crimson Tide coasting with a tournament-high 109 points in the blowout win. Mark Sears led the way with 30 points.

The battle with 12-seed Grand Canyon was much closer and actually in doubt in the final minutes. But while Alabama didn’t have its best offense, the defense played very well in holding the Lopes to just 61 points, winning by 11. It was another big game from Sears, who produced 26 points, 12 rebounds, and six steals.

Alabama now goes from double-digit opponents to the top one in the West Region. They face 1-seed North Carolina, which has just as potent an offense with its own All-American caliber guard. This one might end up being the highest-scoring of all the Sweet 16 matchups.