For the second time in three seasons, Alabama would face Maryland in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The top-seeded Crimson Tide will take on the No. 8 seed Terrapins at Legacy Arena on Saturday at 8:40 p.m. CT. Alabama posted a 96–75 win over No. 16 seed Texas A&M Corpus-Christi, while Maryland posted a 67–65 win over No. 9 seed West Virginia.
Two years ago, No. 2 seed Alabama defeated No. 10 seed Maryland 96–77 in the Round of 32. In the Sweet 16, the Crimson Tide lost to No. 11 seed UCLA.
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s game.
how to see
WHO: No. 1 seed Alabama (30-5) vs. No. 8 seed Maryland (22-12)
When: 8:40 PM CT, Saturday, March 18
Where: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama
Watch: TBS (Play-by-Play: Jim Nantz; Analyst: Bill Raffety; Analyst Grant Hill; Sideline: Tracy Wolfson)
Hear: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-by-Play: Chris Stewart; Analyst: Brian Passink; Engineer Tom Stipe)
Alabama’s Projected Start
Jahvon Queenrly: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds, Sr.
Stats: 8.3 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.7 apg, 39.3% FG, 34.2% 3-pt
Mark Sears: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Jr.
Stats: 12.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.6 apg, 41.1% FG, 35.8% 3-pt
Brandon Miller: 6-foot-9, 200 pounds, freshman
Stats: 19.1 ppg, 8.2 rpg, 2.1 apg, 44.6% FG, 39.6% 3-pt
Noah the Clown: 6-foot-10, 210 pounds, freshman
Stats: 10.1 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 0.9 apg, 50.0% FG, 29.8% 3-pt
Charles Bediaco: 7 feet, 225 pounds, second class
Stats: 6.2 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 0.7 apg, 65.1% FG
Maryland projected starting lineup
Jameer Young: 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Sr.
Stats: 15.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 41.6% FG, 31.3% 3-pt
Don Carey: 6-foot-5, 187 pounds, Sr.
Stats: 7.4 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 1.1 apg, 37.9% FG, 33.9% 3-pt
Hakeem Heart: 6-foot-8, 205 pounds, Sr.
Stats: 11.6 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.6 apg, 48.4% FG, 33.9% 3-pt
Donta Scott: 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, Sr.
Stats: 11.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 1.6 apg, 39.8% FG, 31.0% 3-pt
Julian Reese: 6-foot-9, 230 pounds, Division II
Stats: 11.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 1.0 apg, 47.0% FG, 63.3%
Brandon Miller ‘Taking It Slow’ With Groin Injury
A day after going scoreless for the first time in his career, Brandon Miller addressed a groin injury that’s been bothering him since last weekend’s SEC Tournament in Nashville. The five-star forward failed to score during Alabama’s opening win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Thursday, recording five rebounds while shooting 0-for-5 from the floor in a season-low 19 minutes.
On Friday, Miller said he plans to play against Maryland, adding that as long as he can warm up and loosen up the muscles, he said he feels fine.
“It’s good,” Miller said. “Taking it slowly, day by day, step by step, to really get it back at 100 percent.”
Alabama head coach Nate Oates said Miller would not practice during Friday’s live practice. However, he is confident that his leading scorer will be ready to go on Saturday.
Oates said, “He is being treated this morning.” “He got it last night. He’s going to get a lot more this afternoon. We’re ruling him out of any live practice today, it’s not like we’re going to be doing a lot of live stuff with a game tomorrow and He will shoot and do some inanimate things.
“I think he’s going to be fine. He seemed to be going fine. It obviously bothered him. He didn’t shoot it particularly well, but it seemed like He is going fine. So he has to get his confidence back to play with it.
Miller averaged 19.1 points and 8.2 rebounds at Alabama while shooting 44.6% from the floor and a team-high 39.% from 3. Averaged 20.3 points, 11 rebounds and 4.3 assists during the Crimson Tide’s weekend three win at Nashville.
game notes
– Nate Oates has a 9-3 (.750) record in his 12 postseason games at the helm of the Crimson Tide. Oates has a 3–2 record in NCAA tournament games as head coach at Alabama and owns a 4–5 (.444) record in his last five tournaments as head coach.
– Alabama reached 30 wins for the first time in program history. The Crimson Tide’s previous high was 27 in 2001–02.
– Alabama newcomers have scored 2,144 of UA’s 2,794 points (76.7%) this season
– Kevin Willard is the first coach in Maryland history to lead his team to the NCAA Tournament in his first season.
– The NCAA Tournament bid marks Maryland’s sixth appearance in the last seven applicable years. It would have been the seventh appearance in eight years if the 2020 tournament had not been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
