UConn vs Alabama: 2024 NCAA Tournament Final 4 game preview, TV schedule

UConn looks to continue its dominant stretch to the national title game. But could Alabama's explosive offense be able to pull off the upset?

TV schedule: Saturday, April 6th, 8:49 pm ET (approx), TBS
Arena: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona

The last back-to-back NCAA Tournament champions on the men's side was Florida, back in 2006-07. We're now a week away from a new team pulling off the feat in the UConn Huskies (35-3). They've won 25 of the last 26 games overall, including another dominant run through the East Region. All four wins were by 17 points, beating the likes of Stetson, Northwestern, San Diego State, and Illinois.

The last win was a 77-52 blowout over Illinois, which included a 30-0 run at one point. Donovan Clingan dominated the game on both ends, producing 22 points, 10 rebounds, and five blocks. His defense shut down the Illini inside and as a team, the Huskies have been one of the best defensive units in the sport.

That'll get tested in a big way this weekend, taking on Alabama (25-11). It's the first-ever trip to the Final Four for the Crimson Tide, with three of the four games in this stretch coming down to the final minutes. They beat Charleston, Grand Canyon, 1-seed North Carolina, and beat Clemson 89-82 in the Elite 8, led by 23 points from Mark Sears. He leads the team with 21.5 ppg on the season and will be a tough guard for the UConn perimeter players.

As a team, Alabama is No. 1 in the country in scoring (90.6 ppg) and ranks near the top in most offensive categories. Their pace and style of play are different from what UConn is used to but at the same time, do you want to give the "better team" more possessions?

Of the two Final Four matchups, this one could be where the more likely upset occurs. Will it ultimately happen? That's hard to see right now but a big game from Sears could make it happen. For now, I'll go with the safe pick and the Huskies.

Prediction: UConn 83, Alabama 75