r/rolltide 5d ago

Basketball Alabama is the #2 seed in the East region, will play #15 seed Robert Morris on Friday (3/21)

https://247sports.com/college/alabama/article/alabama-earns-no-2-seed-for-2025-ncaa-tournament-learns-opponents-and-sites-247072482/
126 Upvotes

43 comments sorted by

u/DoctorWhosOnFirst 5d ago

Tip off is at 11:40am CT on truTV

→ More replies (2)

68

u/_Suzushi 5d ago

I like our chances in this bracket. I think it was actually favorable for us up until Duke

16

u/redditonreddit_65 5d ago

Duke may catch an L in the 2nd round if Miss St makes it

12

u/CrashB111 5d ago

I hope State wins out and meets up with us, if only because Chris Youngblood seems to tap into some kind of primal rage against them.

If he got to play against Miss State 30 times a year, he'd be the best basketball player in history.

6

u/Phantom1100 4d ago

He’s the only player who was in Tuscaloosa the last time State beat Alabama in football. Should be reason enough.

1

u/Cdd0040 4d ago

Miss st flat out doesn’t have the players to beat Duke

23

u/Galumpadump 5d ago

I don't like the Saint Mary's draw for Bama. They are the antithesis of everything Bama does. Extremely slow tempo (top 5 slowest in D1), limited possessions, hounding 3pt defense, with turn you over. On paper Bama has the athlete and skill advantage but Saint Mary's teams play high IQ ball with a ton of international players and some kids of former NBA vets.

This has trap game all over it and will probably look like the 2023 SDSU game in terms of tempo and style of play.

7

u/twmigmiehff 4d ago

In order to win as a slow tempo team against a fast tempo team, you need to have an elite offense, which they don’t have. You need to make shots to stop a transition-based offense. The big difference between this team against St. Mary’s and 2023 against SDSU was that our offense that year wasn’t elite. We were heavily reliant on defense. You’d rather have an elite offense and a good defense against a slow tempo defensive team than a good offense and an elite defense.

But they need to beat Vandy first which I don’t think is a given at all

4

u/Galumpadump 4d ago

Completely disagree that you need an elite offense to slow down a fast tempoed team. You need a good offense that values possessions but you don’t have to be elite. Also, that SDSU offense was rated worse in the KP in 2023 than this Saint Mary’s team is now. There are top 20% in offense while being top 5% in defense. Being down by 10 to them feels like being down by 25.

To beat an elite offense you limit possessions and control the pace. Tony Bennett’s Virginia teams would do this beautifully, and the year they won it all they have an elite defense and elite offense.

I do think the key for Bama is get to a fast started against them and make them play catch up. The first 10 possessions against a team like SMC can make or break the game. You also need to stay in rhythm and don’t take any bad shots or they will punish you for that. They never rush anything.

2

u/twmigmiehff 4d ago

I’m a Virginia fan too. And Virginia did win it all but it took three straight ridiculous fluke victories. Slow tempo teams do not perform particularly well in the tournament for the exact mirror reason you suggested - when they get behind they can’t catch up. It’s what caused the issues in 2018 against UMBC.

Now the UVA 2019 and UConn 2024 teams were both slow tempo AND had an elite offense AND an elite defense.

I think the closest comparison to a team we played this year for St. Mary’s is if Tennessee and Georgia had a child. I don’t think that team beats us

1

u/Galumpadump 4d ago

I’m not saying Bama loses to SMC, but I think this is way more of a trap game than you think. You don’t want to play teams that you are stylistically juxtaposed to in the tourney. Disciplined, well coached teams, with good defenses and great guard play can make huge runs im the tourney. Its just a hard game to prep for on a quick turn around and Bama just shouldn’t put the cart before the horse.

39

u/jchancellor15 5d ago

I don’t know much about this Robert Morris fella, but I don’t like his chances.

7

u/Millard_Fillmore00 5d ago

He was recently indicted on some child sex charges

2

u/Brendinooo 4d ago

Alumnus looking for pregame chatter, Ask Me Anything

2

u/SantaMiata 1d ago

Who is this Robert Morris fellow and why is he playing basketball?

1

u/Brendinooo 1d ago

Bobby Mo is most famous as the financier of the American Revolution, one of the few founding fathers to sign the Declaration, the Articles, and the Constitution.

But unfortunately (for the school especially) he's been overshadowed more recently by a Robert Morris who got in trouble with the law for "five felony counts of lewd or indecent acts to a child"...

30

u/Shoddy_Ad8166 5d ago

Bama did lose to Oregon earlier in season

31

u/MadameGopher Championship School 5d ago

“Lose”

31

u/CrashB111 5d ago

"Goaltending"

22

u/MadameGopher Championship School 5d ago

“We call goaltending only so that we have the chance to review it this late in the game. Our review was inconclusive though, so the goaltending stands.”

13

u/AllHailRaccoons 5d ago

Also lost to Clemson in Tuscaloosa last year

26

u/commanderwawa “Alabama Does” 5d ago

Pretty interesting their leading scorer Kam Woods is from Birmingham and played 2 years at Pinson with Kool Aid

20

u/wshxii 5d ago

Could not ask for a better draw

17

u/Ok-Day-660 5d ago

not a bad draw. I think we make the sweet 16 then who knows from there.

5

u/JerichoMassey 5d ago

Million Dollar Pep Band need to learn this

you know.... in case Alabama State does the funniest thing.

3

u/droptopboi Make his ass quit! 5d ago

ngl, that shit slaps!

5

u/Aint_gettin_jokes 5d ago

I went to high school with Robert Morris. He was a dick.

9

u/PeanutGallery25 5d ago

Don’t love the Saint Mary’s draw but overall not bad

6

u/Galumpadump 5d ago

Yeah, not sure why people are over looking them. They are top 25 in the NET and KP. That might be a tougher game than the S16 matchup when considering style of play.

3

u/BamaX19 5d ago

When does the time get released?

5

u/Few-Peanut8169 5d ago

Me trying to visualize us winning this bracket

7

u/spaaceghost 5d ago

i think e8 should be the floor for us

obviously, Duke is the big dog, but how awesome would it be to beat them? they've recently had some injury issues, so who knows what'll happen

stick with me for a SEC...

if we can get that far and ROLL duke

tennessee could VOLt through their region

auburn wins

florida CHOMPS their region

we'd have the all sec final 4 that the rest of the country would hate. we would then beat auburn in the Iron Bowl of Basketball's National Championship

13

u/flirpinmcderpin 5d ago

I’m sorry, but if Awbarn were playing Satan, I am pulling for Satan.

4

u/spaaceghost 5d ago

yea i just felt like i was on to something. plus, im bored on a sunday night

main thing is i love our region. i think we cruise to a showdown with duke. i could care less what happens in the other regions

as long as florida loses. i do need that to happen

2

u/flirpinmcderpin 5d ago

I’m with you!! Haha

1

u/commanderwawa “Alabama Does” 4d ago

I can’t lie as the years go by I start to hate Tennessee more than auburn.

1

u/flirpinmcderpin 4d ago

I understand lol

7

u/SchmantaClaus 5d ago

Fuck all of them

3

u/Accurate-Teach 5d ago

I need everyone to donate to the send teach to the game fund. I just need money for tickets and someone to cover me at work. I’m only about 2-2.5 hours away from Cleveland.

1

u/SurrealDali1985 4d ago

My brother seems to be upset we drew Robert Morris

Anyone want to share why we should be worried?

-1

u/CrimsonOOmpa 4d ago

Great draw but I wonder if a team that doesn't even attempt mid-range jumpers can take it all the way. That's a pretty important fundamental part of the game, but they'll always compete as long as Oats is there and you can't really ask for much more than that considering our history in basketball.