Evaluating where Alabama can create an advantage against UConn

Just like last spring, UConn is mercilessly mowing down every opponent in their path, and capped off second straight Final Four run by beating the breaks of Illinois in the Elite 8.

Now, the Huskies face a team of similar ilk in Alabama, an up-tempo offensive-minded operation that has struggled with defense for much of the year but has found a way to string together enough stops in March. The real question is whether they can continue that trend in April.

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According to On3’s James Fletcher, the Tide have a simple formula for knocking off UConn, and that’s to take a ton of threes and make ’em.

“Well Alabama does have something that they do a little bit differently than the teams that UConn has had to face, and that’s get up the 3-point shot,” James Fletcher explained to Andy Staples on Monday’s On3 YouTube stream.

“They average over 30 attempts per game at times. So for them to win this game, they’re going to have to knock down shots from the perimeter. If they go out there and hit 14 to 15 3s, it doesn’t matter how UConn is playing on the interior, what they’re doing on offense; that’s a lot of points to just put on the board.”

Fletcher believes a hot shooting night could really open the floodgates for this Crimson Tide offense that has rated so high all season.

“And then you start rolling from there, maybe get Mark Sears to the line, you get a little something from Aaron Estrada. I think that Grant Nelson brings an interesting dynamic.”

Fletcher particularly emphasized the Nelson factor, since he’s a five-man who can knock down 3-point shots.

“Is he able to bring Donovan Clingan more towards the perimeter than he would like to be for parts of that game to open up that lane a little bit so they can get more drive and kick 3s and maybe get some of those downhill shots at the rim without having Donovan Clingan there to contest the shot?”

Perhaps he does, although Illinois is also a team that could spread you out with a willing shooter at center. However, Danny Hurley countered by putting Clingan on the Illini’s only non-shooter to keep him close to the basket. But what Alabama can do is play certain five-out lineups with all five guys being able to shoot from deep, which is a style UConn hasn’t had to guard yet this tournament.

“I think Alabama brings a lot of interesting things to the table,” Fletcher continued, but he still wonders if the Tide can do enough to bother the Huskies.

“The question will be whether it’s enough to overwhelm or prevent UConn from doing what we’ve seen them do every time in the tournament, which is flip the switch and find a way to roll from there.”