Know the Foe: Alabama Crimson Tide

After beating VCU and Wisconsin in the first two rounds of the NCAA tournament, the BYU Cougars take on a high-scoring, dynamic Alabama team, looking to make back-to-back Final Four appearances.

BYU basketball all-time has never won a game against the Crimson Tide, going 0-2 in their two meetings in 1957 and 2017. The Cougars are looking to change that this Thursday with a chance to go to the Elite Eight.

Alabama is the sixth-best team in the KenPom rankings, and has the highest offensive rating in the country; meaning that this Alabama team scores the most points in the country based on a 100 possession game.

This game will be headlined by two great head coaches with Kevin Young and Nate Oats. Oats has been the coach at Alabama for six years and has revitalized the Crimson Tide program.

Oats is known for running an NBA-like offense, with shooters everywhere on the floor and athletic big men running to the rim.

Alabama’s Scoring Ability 
Alabama is led by senior Mark Sears, who has averaged 18.6 points per game this season. BYU’s defense will have its work cut out for them yet again, after beating John Tonje and Wisconsin a week ago.

Sears has played three seasons with the Crimson Tide, leading them to three Sweet 16s and a Final Four.

Alabama has five players that average more than 10 points per game, showing just how many options this team has.

Another name to watch for Alabama is forward Grant Nelson. He is Alabama’s second leading scorer and similar to Wisconsin, brings size to their front court.

The Crimson Tide have an identity predicated on out-scoring and playing at a faster pace than their opponents.

BYU’s defense will have to try and slow down this Alabama team and match their offensive output; The Crimson Tide have only scored under 70 points twice all season.

Almost all of Alabama’s offense goes through Mark Sears, so making him uncomfortable out there is the number one priority for BYU. It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Cougars put senior, and excellent defender, Mawot Mag on Sears, using that size and length to bother him.

Alabama’s Defensive Approach
Alabama’s main focus is to keep teams off the three point line. The Crimson Tide held opponents to just 30.5% from the three point line all season. This defensive approach could prove to be difficult for BYU if they aren’t attacking the paint.

Alabama plays a very similar style to Wisconcin who BYU just played. Instead of trapping and pressing the Cougars guards up the floor, Alabama will instead try to get back and set up their halfcourt defense.

BYU will have to play just as fast as Alabama and score as much. Alabama’s only shot to win this game is if they outscore the Cougars. The Tide have shown the ability to win games down the stretch by going on scoring runs, not by getting stops.

Southeastern Conference Dominance
There was some controversy over the inclusion of 14 schools from the SEC in this year's NCAA tournament, but these schools have proved to be some of the best in the country.

The SEC has seven teams playing in the Sweet 16, which breaks a record for the tournament, again showing how well the conference has played.

Alabama came into the 2024-2025 season as the projected No. 2 team in the country, and the Crimson Tide played like a top-10 team all season long.

The BYU Cougars will have a chance to prove themselves against the talented SEC and see how the Big 12 Conference fares against its competition.

This matchup between two of the best offensive teams in the country will be an entertaining game, giving BYU the chance to go to its first Elite Eight since 1981.

The game will tip off from Newark, New Jersey on Thursday at 5:09 p.m. and will be streamed on CBS.