The first matchup of the 2024 Final Four is set as No. 1 overall seed UConn will take on No. 4 seed Alabama on Saturday, April 6 at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. It will be a historic moment for the Crimson Tide, who are making their first-ever Final Four appearance. But they will have their hands full with the Huskies, the reigning national champions.
UConn entered last year’s NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed with a 25-8 record after losing to Marquette in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament. The Huskies didn’t win the Big East regular-season title last year, either, but still managed to go on a dominant run of six straight double-digit victories in the Big Dance.
This year’s version of UConn won both the Big East regular season and tournament titles to add a couple new pieces of hardware to the program’s expanding collection of trophies and banners. Clearly, the Huskies have established themselves as the team to beat in college basketball yet again.
But March Madness is about the upsets and the unexpected, and those things don’t stop after the tournament’s first weekend. The Sweet 16 was rife with chaos as well, and it would be no shock if the Final Four brings more of it. Alabama boasts the nation’s highest-scoring offense and is playing at an elite level after limping into the Big Dance following some late-season struggles.
Here is the early look at what’s ahead for the Final Four.
(1) UConn vs. (4) Alabama
Date: Saturday, April 6 | Time: TBD
Location: State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona
TV: TBS | Streaming: March Madness Live
About the Huskies
UConn is on a mission to become the first repeat national champion in college basketball since Florida won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007. Despite losing the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player (Adama Sanogo) and a pair of NBA Draft picks (Jordan Hawkins and Andre Jackson Jr.), the Huskies have actually improved since cutting down the nets in Houston at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.
How did they do it? Star point guard Tristen Newton returned and upped his production, as did 7-foot-4 center Donovan Clingan and reliable forward Alex Karaban. Sixth-year coach Dan Hurley added sharpshooter Cam Spencer to the mix as a transfer from Rutgers, and five-star freshman Stephon Castle has also delivered on the hype he generated as a prospect. Veteran returners Hassan Diarra and Samson Johnson are making substantive contributions, and freshmen Solomon Ball and Jaylin Stewart give the Huskies waves of depth.
The Huskies are elite on both sides of the ball with Newton and Spencer serving as dynamic scoring options from the guard positions. Clingan is a force in the paint on both ends and showing why he is regarded as a potential lottery pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. As a shot-blocking presence in the lane, he is the ultimate deterrent to opposing offenses seeking to attack the basket.
About the Crimson Tide
Alabama is led by Mark Sears. The 6-1 senior guard is in his second season with the program after transferring in from Ohio, and he took on a massive role this season following the departure of 2022-23 one-and-done star Brandon Miller. The Crimson Tide were the No. 1 overall seed last season with Miller leading the way but were eliminated in the Sweet 16 by San Diego State. This season, Alabama beat No. 13 seed Charleston, No. 12 seed Grand Canyon, No. 1 seed North Carolina and No. 6 seed Clemson to reach the sport’s biggest stage. Sears led the way with his outside shooting and was particularly clutch in the second half against Clemson, when he knocked down 6 of 7 tries from beyond the arc.
The Crimson Tide get a significant percentage of their points from 3-point range and are 15-1 this season when making 12 or more 3-pointers. They have reached 100 or more points on 10 occasions while ranking as the highest-scoring team in college basketball. Defensively, Alabama has struggled at times this season and is just 4-7 when allowing 90 or more points. But when this team puts it all together, it can be lethal. Fifth-year coach Nate Oats has established himself as one of the best in the profession since arriving from Buffalo, and his stardom will only increase now that he’s led the Crimson Tide to the sport’s biggest stage.
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