Alabama men’s basketball has its opponent set for the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.
Next up in March Madness, the No. 2 seeded Crimson Tide will play No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s on Sunday at a to-be-announced time.
On Friday, Alabama managed to hang on and beat No. 15 seed Robert Morris 90-81. Meanwhile, the Gaels fought off the upset from No. 10 seed Vanderbilt by an even slimmer margin, 59-56.
Ahead of the matchup between Alabama and Saint Mary’s with a trip to the Sweet 16 on the line, here’s what you need to know about the Gaels.
A completely different tempo
Talk about a difference in styles. No team in the country runs faster than Alabama, with an adjusted tempo of 75 (possessions per 40 minutes). That’s No. 1 in the nation per KenPom.
Then you have Saint Mary’s, whose tempo is 61.8, the sixth-slowest pace in the nation.
That contrast of styles will lead to an interesting clash. Alabama will try to speed the game up. Saint Mary’s will try to slow the game down. Whoever plays the closest to their preferred pace will likely win the game.
Watch for Augustas Marciulionis
The guard is Saint Mary’s leading scorer, averaging 14.3 points per game this season. He’s also first on the team in assists with 6.1 per game. His 1.4 steals per game lead all Gaels.
Marciulionis' assist rate is also one of the best in the country at 33.5, per KenPom. That ranks 39th nationally.
What to know about Saint Mary’s offense
The offense is solid, with an adjusted efficiency of 115.4, per KenPom, which ranks 54th nationally.
The Gaels rank second nationally in offensive rebounding percentage. Alabama is fresh off a game where its opponent dominated 16-5 on the offensive glass, and Robert Morris ranks 34th in that category. So Saint Mary’s should be even better.
The Gaels have a slight edge in overall length of the team. Saint Mary’s average height is 78.4 inches. Alabama’s slightly shorter at 78.1 inches.
The Gaels also don’t turn the ball over much with a turnover percentage of 15.1, ranked No. 42 nationally. Saint Mary’s is better from within the arc than beyond it. And that’s how the Gaels want to play. Saint Mary’s scores 55.9% of its points from two-point range. That’s 23rd nationally. Meanwhile, it scores 26.4% of its points from three-point range, ranked 314th.
Winning the battle in the paint will be important for Alabama to limit Saint Mary’s on offense.
What to know about Saint Mary’s defense
The Gaels are stronger on defense than offense. They rank No. 8 in adjusted defensive efficiency, per KenPom.
