Grand Canyon vs. Alabama March Madness Preview and Prediction
In a No. 12 vs. No. 4 matchup in the NCAA Tournament West Region, the Grand Canyon Antelopes face the Alabama Crimson Tide in second-round action.
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How to Watch Grand Canyon vs. Alabama
When: 7:10 pm ET on Sunday, March 24th
Where: Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena in Spokane, Washington
Watch: TBS
Odds for Grand Canyon vs. Alabama
(odds current at time of publish)
Spread: Alabama -5
Total: 171.5
DraftKings Betting Splits | Live College Basketball Odds | GCU vs. Alabama Matchup
West Region No. 12 Grand Canyon Antelopes
It feels like Bryce Drew is building something special at GCU. The Antelopes are dancing for the third time in his four years with the program. And this is the best team he has had, by far. Grand Canyon is currently 52nd in our VSiN Power Ratings and 53rd in KenPom’s efficiency rankings. And this team gets it done on both ends of the floor. GCU has an explosive backcourt in Tyon Grant-Foster and Ray Harrison. And several other players are capable of contributing. The Lopes are also relentlessly defending inside the 3-point line. They’re a top-10 team when it comes to both EFG% and 2PT% defense. However, that could change against a much bigger opponent. If Grand Canyon is lacking anything, it’s a legit center that can be trusted to play big minutes. Duke Brennan is the closest thing the Lopes have to that. But he often gets himself in foul trouble against legitimate size.
West Region No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide
Nate Oats is still the head coach of the Crimson Tide, so they naturally have a top-five offense in college basketball. Alabama plays at one of the fastest paces in the nation, and the team launches a ton of 3s — and drills them at a high clip. Mark Sears has been as good as any guard in the country this year, and he’s a player that people could fall in love with in the tournament. The issue with Alabama is that the defense is an absolute nightmare. The Tide don’t even crack the nation’s top 100 on that end of the floor. So, they’ll be vulnerable if exposed to a team that can get the job done on both offensively and defensively.
Grand Canyon vs. Alabama Preview & Prediction
Tune into this game if you like scoring. Alabama put up 109 points in a win over College of Charleston last round, and GCU scored 75 against a very good St. Mary’s defense. The Tide are 11th in the nation in adjusted tempo this season, and they’re also 25th in the nation in 3P% (37.0%) and 19th in 3-point rate. The Antelopes don’t quite jack up that many 3s, but they’re still a team that can get up and down and pull their weight offensively. In fact, they just might have the best offensive player on the court in this game in Tyon Grant-Foster. He’ll be a menace in transition here. So, if you’re looking to play the total, you might want to go Over in this one.
As for the side, it’s hard to envision the 3-ball not factoring in heavily here. The Lopes are a rock-solid team offensively, but they better come ready to shoot if they want to hang with the Tide. Alabama was 13 for 23 from 3 against Charleston and has multiple players that can catch fire from deep. When you combine that with Mark Sears’ ability to shake anyone and get two feet in the paint, you’re looking at a team that is borderline impossible to stop. So, even though the Lopes are the better defensive team here, they are going to need to be able to keep up with Nate Oats’ group.
GCU also doesn’t have a dominant big man, which is one place teams have an edge against Alabama. With that in mind, backing the Lopes in this game would mean rooting for something of an outlier offensive performance — either in the form of a bad offensive game from Alabama, or a great offensive game from GCU. But it’s not like the Lopes never have big games offensively. They scored at least 80 points on 12 different occasions this year. That said, crazier things have happened. And this GCU team isn’t your normal mid-major. The Lopes have high-major talent.
Estimated Score: Alabama 87, Grand Canyon 80
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