Alabama Basketball: Looking forward to the Sweet 16

Alabama Basketball is advancing to just its third Sweet 16 since 1991. How far will the 2022-23 Crimson Tide go?

The Sweet 16 appearance means Alabama is just two games from the Final Four. It is also four wins from a potential national championship, which would be an unprecedented accomplishment in Bama hoops lore.

In the Sweet 16, Bama will take on the San Diego State Aztecs of the Mountain West Conference. The Aztecs, who have a 29-6 record, won the Mountain West regular season with a 15-3 conference record. They also went on to secure the conference tournament title as well, earning a 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament.

To get to this point, SDSU defeated 12-seed College of Charleston 63-57 in the Round of 64 before blowing out 13-seed Furman 75-52 in the Round of 32.

Casual fans may insist that the Aztecs have had an easy path and haven’t played anybody. Sure, they have avoided college basketball’s elites so far. However, Charleston and Furman are both high-quality mid-major teams that have a combined 59-12 record. Both are veteran teams with guys that will play pro ball at some level.

While SDSU hasn’t beaten any brand-name teams, they have two quality wins under their belt. In the NCAA Tournament, confidence and momentum are as important as any other factor. Brian Dutcher’s team should not be taken lightly in that regard.

Alabama Basketball and other intriguing Sweet 16 teams

Alabama Basketball is joined in the Sweet 16 by two other SEC teams in Arkansas and Tennessee. 6-seed Kentucky, 7-seed Missouri, and 9-seed Auburn all fell in the Round of 32 over the weekend.

Arkansas, an 8-seed, beat Illinois and upset reigning national champion Kansas to reach the Sweet 16. Alabama Basketball swept the Razorbacks in the regular season.

4-seed Tennessee has beaten 13-seed Louisiana and 5-seed Duke to keep its season alive. Tennessee beat Alabama 68-59 in the only matchup between the two teams this year.

4-seed UConn and 7-seed Michigan State have also advanced to the tournament’s second weekend. The Crimson Tide saw both teams at the Phil Knight Invitational in Portland, Oregon over Thanksgiving weekend. Bama beat Michigan State 81-70 in the quarterfinal round, but fell to UConn 82-67 in the semifinals.

2-seed UCLA and 3-seed Gonzaga advanced out of the West region and will square off in the Sweet 16. The game is a rematch from the 2021 Final Four classic between the two schools. Gonzaga beat Alabama 100-90 in a high-scoring thriller back in December. UCLA, ironically, beat Alabama in that 2021 NCAA Tournament in what was Bama’s most recent Sweet 16 appearance.

Of the 16 remaining teams in the 2023 Tournament, Alabama Basketball has already played six, amassing a 4-3 record against those teams. Of the Tide’s five losses this season, three of those opponents are still alive. To reach college basketball’s summit, Bama may have to win at least one revenge game.

Before it can worry about repeat opponents, Alabama will have to take things one game at a time. It all starts with handling San Diego State this Friday.