MEN’S BASKETBALL FINAL FOUR GAMEDAY

NO. 4 ALABAMA VS. NO. 1 UCONN

When: 8:49 p.m.

Where: State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Ariz.

Records: Alabama 25-11, UConn 35-3

TV: TBS

Radio: UConn Sports Network, WAVZ-New Haven (1300 AM), WGCH- Greenwich (1490 AM), WATR-Waterbury (1320 AM), WICH-Norwich (1310 AM, 94.5 FM), WILI-Willimantic (1400 AM, 95.3 FM), Fox Sports 97.9 FM Hartford, SiriusXM-983, SXM App 973

KEEP AND EYE ON

Dan Hurley and Nate Oats are cut from the same cloth in many ways, not the least of which is their interest in analytics.

So, let’s go to the numbers. Per KenPom.com, Hurley’s UConn men’s basketball team boasts the No. 1 offense in America. Oats’ Alabama squad is No. 3. Just about a wash.

On the other side of the ball, UConn is No. 4 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Alabama? No. 105.

Case closed, huge advantage UConn, right? Not so fast, Oats pointed out.

“If you look at our four games in the NCAA tournament, we’re not close to 105th,” Oats pointed out to reporters on Thursday. “You should look at just the tournament. If you looked at the four games in the tournament ... look, we did a very bad job once we got up 31 on Charleston. We relaxed. If you take out those seven minutes, where they outscored us by 18 after we got up 31, you could probably do it. I believe, like, our defense is top 30.”

After allowing 96 points to Charleston in their opener, the Crimson Tide allowed 61 in a win over Grand Canyon, then 87 and 82, respectively, against highscoring North Carolina and Clemson. More to the point, Alabama leads all tournament teams in blocks (6 per game) in the tournament, while holding opponents to 29-percent 3-point shooting (32-for-111).

A defensive juggernaut? No. However ...

“We’re not going to assume we’re a terrible defensive team and try to outscore UConn,” Oats said. “I think that’s a recipe for disaster. They’re too good on both sides of the ball.”

Ah yes, UConn. The Huskies average over 81 points per game and are top 10 in the nation in field goal percentage, scoring margin, effective field goal percentage, assist/turnover ratio and assists per game. And that’s just on offense.

Defensively, UConn holds opponents to 63.3 points per game, best in the Big East and top 10 nationally. UConn clears the boards to a plus-8.8 rebounding margin and, in large part thanks to 7-foot-2 Donovan Clingan, rank 12th nationally with 5.4 blocked shots per game.

“Our offense has to be great, we know that, against a very good defense from UConn,” Oats noted. “But we are going to try to be as good as we can possibly be on defense. I just don’t think you can try to beat UConn 120-118. That’s probably not going to be a good idea.”