Alabama has an opportunity to advance to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season when it faces off against Texas Tech on Sunday night in Tampa. The Red Raiders are a difficult matchup, however, and the oddsmakers currently view it as a total toss-up game.
These are evenly matched teams, with Alabama ahead on KenPom by just 0.43 points. Nate Oats knows that the Crimson Tide will have to play better from the opening tip against the Red Raiders than they did against Hofstra. Alabama wound up winning by 20, but started slowly and found itself down 10 in the first half. That kind of start could be a disaster against Texas Tech.
It's imperative that Alabama gets off to a quick start, and it's imperative that the Tide guards can stay in front of Texas Tech's elite backcourt. If the Crimson Tide finds itself scrambling on defense, the Red Raiders will make them pay. Tech is No. 3 in the country in three-point percentage, knocking down 39.7% of their attempts from deep. Christian Anderson, Donovan Atwell, and Jaylen Petty are all elite shooters.
"If we can get more good looks off than them, I like our chances," Oats said. "If we all of a sudden can’t guard them one-on-one and keep having to help, and we get in a rotation all night, and they’re getting some open threes, we’re going to be in serious trouble because they’ve got guys that make them at a high clip."
Nate Oats is worried about Alabama's ability to guard Texas Tech one-on-one
It's not a state secret that Alabama has struggled defensively this year. The Crimson Tide ranks 65th in the country in KenPom's defensive efficiency metric. While they played a good overall game against Hofstra in holding the Pride to 1.0 points per possession, it will take an even greater effort to combat Texas Tech.
Labaron Philon and Latrell Wrightsell will draw difficult defensive assignments, and if Oats goes with the same starting five he did on Friday, Amari Allen will be chasing Tech's quick guards, too.
But it will be imperative that Alabama's switch-heavy defense is prepared and communicating, and not allowing guys to be wide open. You have to help off the right guys and not leave the trio of elite Red Raiders shooters open.
That starts with good on-ball defense, but it continues with proper communication and being locked into the defensive game plan.