2024 Final Four: Alabama vs. UConn could be 'fun matchup' despite double-digit spread
No. 1 UConn and No. 4 Alabama will play the second of two matchups in the Final Four on Saturday. It’ll be worth staying up for too based on the game that it could be out in the desert.
On3’s Andy Staples and James Fletcher III discussed the game between the Huskies and Crimson Tide on Friday morning. Staples brought up the topic suggesting this semifinal might be closer than the 11.5-point spread would indicate, especially if ‘Bama shoots it like they’re capable of.
“This is a game where, if Alabama is shooting well, I mean we could see a team, both teams in the hundreds if Alabama is shooting really well,” Staples said. “Both these teams want to play a kind of elegant, flowing style on offense.”
Fletcher agreed on the fact that the nature of this game could be one of a shootout. He thought so even to the point of him questioning the point total for it from Vegas. Each team is more than able to put up points with Alabama averaging 90.6 ppg. and Connecticut posting 81.4. That firepower with both teams at full strength should make for a must-watch matchup from Phoenix.
“It’s going to be a fun matchup,” said Fletcher. “I was looking at that over/under there on the screen. I’m not sure that’s going to stick because both of these teams have incredible offensive firepower.
“We know that UConn is the number one offense in the country,” Fletcher added. “Alabama, as Nate Oats pointed out earlier this week in his press conference, was number one for a large portion of the season until Latrell Wrightsell went out with an injury. Well, looks like he’s going to be back this weekend. So Alabama, according to their staff, is back to what they were when they were the number one offense in the country.”
However, the difference in the game will likely come down to the defensive end. Most would give that edge to the top-ranked Huskies as they’ve give up just 63.3 points per game. That’s compared to the 81.1 allowed by the Tide per game. That impact on that end, led by Donovan Clingan at at 10 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in the tournament, is much of the reason why UConn is a double-digit favorite for Saturday.
“We’re going to see an offensive matchup here. I think where UConn can create some separation is on the defensive end of the floor,” Fletcher said. “What Donovan Clingan has been able to do? Taking the offensive efficiency that he gives you around the rim. Then bringing to the defensive end just an absolute rim protection that not many people have been able to provide at the college level in quite some time has made this UConn team what it is.
“They were able to slow down what was the number two offense in Illinois just behind UConn in the last round,” Fletcher recalled. “We saw how that went with a 30-0 run.”
This game still has the potential to be a fantastic one, regardless of what the spread or predictions may indicate. That’s something the audience can look forward to come Saturday night with both teams playing for a spot in the national championship on Monday.