NCAA Tournament round of 32 preview: No. 8-seed Maryland men’s basketball vs. No. 1-seed Alabama

Maryland males’s basketball is on to the spherical of 32 for the second time in three seasons. The Terps survived a thriller in opposition to No. 9-seed West Virginia within the spherical of 64 to advance. Now Maryland has its hardest take a look at of the season when it takes on No. 1 general seed Alabama in Birmingham, Alabama, on Saturday at 9:40 p.m. ET.

Maybe Maryland’s troublesome nonconference schedule that included tilts with Tennessee and UCLA — each losses — ready Maryland for this second. If Maryland knocks off the Crimson Tide, it will be a monumental upset.

Alabama has had a historic season in a mess of the way. Though off-court points have created a darkish cloud across the program, it has remained dominant on the courtroom. Alabama misplaced simply 5 instances this season, and simply twice in convention play. It captured the regular-season SEC title after which steamrolled the sector to earn a convention match title as nicely. The one factor left for Alabama to perform is to hoist the nationwide championship trophy in April.

Because the No. 1 general seed within the match, Alabama received the posh of taking part in its first two video games in its yard. Birmingham is lower than an hour drive from Tuscaloosa, and Alabama followers confirmed out in waves for its first-round recreation. They definitely will do the identical on Saturday, which is bound to create a hostile setting for a Maryland workforce that has struggled on the street all 12 months.

Alabama Crimson Tide (29-5, 16-2 SEC)

Alabama head coach Nate Oats has created a world the place Alabama is related all 12 months spherical, not simply when its soccer workforce takes the sector within the fall. Oats is in his fourth season as head coach of the Crimson Tide and has guided Alabama to the NCAA Event the final three seasons. This 12 months was by far Alabama’s greatest beneath Oats because the Crimson Tide have already captured two titles this season.

Alabama cruised by way of the SEC, however has some big nonconference wins as nicely. It defeated Michigan State, North Carolina, Memphis and Houston. It does, nevertheless, have losses to UConn and Gonzaga, two nationwide title contenders.

Gamers to know

Brandon Miller, freshman ahead, 6-foot-9, No. 24 — Miller is pretty much as good of a three-level scorer that exists in faculty basketball. He can deal with the ball, shoot from the surface, create his personal shot and end at a excessive stage. When he will get going, he’s fairly frankly unstoppable. He’s averaging 19.6 factors per recreation this season and capturing 40.1% from three. Nevertheless, after Alabama’s first-round win, Oats stated Miller has been coping with a groin damage. Miller performed simply 19 minutes and scored zero factors in opposition to Texas A&M Corpus-Christi on Thursday.

Mark Sears, junior guard, 6-foot-1, No. 1 — Sears is Alabama’s second-leading scorer at 12.8 factors per recreation. He’s utilized in on-ball and off-ball conditions and might rating in quite a lot of methods. Like many guys on Alabama’s workforce, he’s a succesful 3-point shooter, flattening 36% of his makes an attempt from distance.

Jahvon Quinerly, senior guard, 6-foot-1, No. 5 — Quinerly typically runs the present for Alabama because the initiator of the offense. He’s a dynamic guard who thrives in open area due to his quickness. He solely averages 8.1 factors per recreation however leads the workforce in assists and shoots 34% from deep.

Power

Scoring. This Alabama workforce can flat-out rating. Miller and Sears lead the scoring assault, however the Crimson Tide have quite a few guys who can carry the scoring load. Alabama likes to push the ball in transition however also can break a workforce down within the half courtroom. It averages 82.2 factors per recreation, the sixth-most within the nation and second-most amongst energy convention groups.

Weak point

Turnovers. For an offense as prolific as Alabama’s, it’s typically careless with the ball. Alabama averages 14 turnovers per recreation, so Maryland’s press might create havoc for Alabama’s ball handlers. If the Terps are going to maintain it shut, they should power turnovers that enable them to get out in transition.

Three issues to observe

1. Will probably be one other street recreation for Maryland. Everybody and their mom is aware of how unhealthy Maryland has been on the street this season. It completed 1-9 in convention street video games with its lone win at Minnesota. When Maryland performed Indiana within the Large Ten Event, though it was technically a impartial web site recreation, it felt like a street recreation and the hostile setting harm the Terps. Saturday’s spherical of 32 recreation in opposition to Alabama will probably be one other street take a look at for Maryland given the proximity of Birmingham to Tuscaloosa. It might be a miracle if, after all of the street hardships Maryland endured, it lastly overcame them with a visit to the Candy 16 on the road.

2. How will Maryland guard Miller? Miller is Alabama’s greatest participant and maybe the most effective participant in your entire nation. He’s a surefire top-five decide within the NBA Draft primarily based on expertise. Questions persist relating to his involvement in a homicide aided by his former Alabama teammate again in November, however Alabama by no means suspended nor disciplined him, and it has seemingly not impacted Miller’s play. Maryland has devised nice recreation plans for opposing workforce’s greatest gamers, but it surely has have by no means confronted somebody as deadly as Miller. As beforehand talked about, Miller is barely banged up, however how a lot that may impression him and the way Maryland can exploit that’s unclear.

3. Can Jahmir Younger bounce again? After an outstanding common season, Jahmir Younger has struggled within the postseason — in each the Large Ten Event and his lone NCAA Event recreation. Groups are continually blitzing Younger’s screens and taking part in a bodily model of protection in opposition to him, which has troubled him. He had simply 10 factors on 1-for-5 capturing in opposition to West Virginia within the first spherical. Maryland’s offense should be prolific to maintain up with Alabama’s, which suggests Younger should be higher.