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Texas A&M Corpus Christi to take on No. 1 seed Alabama with chance to 'go shock the world'

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•03/14/23
Steve Lutz, Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders basketball coach
Texas A&M Corpus Christi basketball coach Steve Lutz claps during a play-in game for the NCAA Tournament on March 14, 2023. (Andy Lyons / Getty Images)

Alabama‘s first-round opponent in the NCAA Tournament is set, with the Crimson Tide ready to square off against the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders.

The Islanders expect to put up a fight, but they know the odds are long.

“They’re really, really talented,” Texas A&M Corpus Christi coach Steve Lutz said. “They’re really talented. We faced Arizona early in the year, very similar in terms of they can really score points. We’re not going to be able to score 77 points and win. You’ve got to be able to get 80-plus is my guess, just to beat them. But they’re super talented and well-coached.”

Alabama was named a one seed after running through a difficult SEC slate relatively unscathed.

The Crimson Tide lost only two games — one after it had already clinched the league title — and then ran through the conference tournament unbeaten.

Lutz is well aware.

“Man, they’re fantastic. They’re a No. 1 seed for a reason,” he said. “They’ve got really good players. They’re well-coached, they shoot the ball, they rebound the ball and they are awfully fast. If we don’t get back in transition it could be a long night.”

That said, don’t expect Texas A&M Corpus Christi to just assume it’s headed home. They’re going to show up ready to play.

And some earlier run-ins with NCAA Tournament teams mean they know roughly what to expect from a major conference team.

“We played Arizona. We played Mississippi State at Mississippi State,” Lutz said. “In both those games there were times during those games, especially in the first half, we were leading the game. So our guys are battle-tested, they’re not scared of the moment. You’ve got to go play and you’ve got to embrace it.”

Go out and play and see what you can make happen. Texas A&M Corpus Christi certainly will.

“That’s why we have the NCAA Tournament, where you have situations like this where you get a chance to go shock the world,” Lutz said. “Nobody thought Saint Peters was going to get as far as they did last year, either. That’s what makes this tournament special, guys.”