Third Round (Sweet Sixteen)
Venue: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville
24.03.2023, @ 01:30 AM (+03:00 UTC)
The NCAA March Madness is on and this is another promising period of college basketball where we witness young athletes light the USA soil on fire. It is a rather tedious tournament because you can’t afford to lose a game with all rounds being knockouts. So, there are many upsets and the top-ranked giants are regularly felled. In another interesting March Madness showdown, Alabama Crimson Tide takes on San Diego State Aztecs.
Claim Your Welcome Bonus!Alabama Crimson Tide
Alabama comes into the game after defeating the Maryland Terrapins 73:51 as Jahvon Quinerly scooped up 22 points. Brandon Miller had a solid game too, nabbing 19 points and 7 rebounds. Charles Bedlako had a double-double, grabbing 10 points and 10 rebounds. The offense wasn’t as smooth as it usually is and Alabama shot below 40%. They just made six triples on a below 30%. However, it was their ability to draw the whistle that helped them and the Crimson Tide made 21 free-throws in 28 attempts. Their defense was highly impressive and they gave up just 35% from the field and allowed just one triple. They had a huge 44-32 rebounding edge.
NBA Watch: Forward Brandon Miller is number two in the current NBA 2023 Mock draft.
San Diego State Aztecs
The Aztecs enter the competition after beating the Furman Paladins 75:52 on the heels of a 16 points and six rebounds outing by bench player Micah Parrish. The Aztecs’ offense was efficient throughout and the squad shot 50% from the field, doing most of the damage inside the three-point line. Lamont Butler led the playmaking effort and dished six assists while in total, the Aztecs had 17 assists compared to 10 turnovers. They held Paladins to just 32% and their much-praised gritty defense came to their rescue yet again. They had a huge 41-24 rebounding advantage. San Diego plays with a lot of toughness and tries their best to cover every offensive player which makes them a spectacular team.
Expert Betting Tips
Alabama didn’t have their best game last time around but they made up for it through the superb defense. The Aztecs also play a tough brand of basketball and their offense also turned up in the last match. It will be interesting to see how these two will respond. Yes, Alabama is the favorite, and if the Aztecs win, that’ll be a big upset but you never know at this juncture of the tournament. Still, Alabama looks like the heavyweights and I expect them to win and also expect both teams to cross the 70 mark.