Both teams come into this Elite Eight matchup after beating the two top seeds in their region. Clemson kept their improbable run with an upset win over Arizona, while Alabama won a close battle over top seeded North Carolina. Both teams are looking to advance to the Final Four for the first time in program history.
The Crimson Tide took down UNC on Thursday behind 24 points from senior guard Grant Nelson. It was another big day for their offense as a whole, with four of five starters scoring at least 18 points. Alabamaβs offense has stayed hot in the Tournament, averaging 90 ppg in their first three games. It should come as no surprise that Alabama hits a lot of threeβs. 27th most per game to be specific. That could be very dangerous for a Clemson defense that is 117th at defending the perimeter. The Tideβs offense will look to keep rolling in their first Elite Eight appearance.
Clemson continues to shock the world. They have been an underdog in every game of the tournament, but here they are, two wins away from playing for a National Championship. PJ Hall played his usual role as leading scorer by putting up 17 points and 8 rebounds on Thursday. Chase Hunter led the backcourt with 18 points and 5 assists. They will both look to duplicate their performances against Alabamaβs 346th ranked scoring defense.