Last season, Alabama reached the Final Four for the first time in program history.
Now, the No. 2-seeded Crimson Tide are back in the Sweet 16, two wins away from a trip to San Antonio.
Such a quest to return to the national semifinal and beyond will continue Thursday in Newark against BYU — and for Alabama coach Nate Oats, against a familiar face.
“I’ve actually gotten to know Kevin (Young) pretty well,” Oats told reporters Sunday night regarding BYU’s first-year head coach. “I’ve gone to the Suns training camp a couple times when Monty (Williams) was the coach and (Young) was the assistant there, and he’s great. I’ve kind of been interested to follow him as he got into college. He’s done a really good job (at BYU). I’ve watched him a little bit here and there, but I haven’t dove in totally.”
What Oats has picked up on while watching the Cougars, however, is that BYU is “definitely way more stylistically like us.” Alabama is ranked No. 4 nationally in offensive efficiency, Young’s squad is ranked No. 8. Alabama averages 10.2 made 3-pointers per game, the Cougars average 10.6.
The matchup will be a change of pace for the Tide, having faced the notoriously slow-paced, defensive-minded Saint Mary’s Gaels Sunday in Cleveland, and now needing to shift gears to prepare for a speedy, high-powered group in BYU.
“I don’t know that I want to say it’s refreshing to go against somebody that plays like us because I think we’re really tough to guard, and we’ve led the country in scoring the last two years,” Oats said. “I don’t think anybody is saying it’s refreshing to play Alabama, whoever is running the defense for the other team. I mean, in a way, maybe it’s not such a smash-mouth game like playing football out there like some of these teams.
“But (BYU is) not easy to cover. (Young)’s running great sets. They’ve got shooters all over the place. They’re good.”
The Cougars enjoyed a pair of elite offensive outings in their first two tournament games. Against VCU, BYU became the first team all season to score 80 points against the vaunted Rams defense.
In Saturday’s 91-89 thriller against Wisconsin, the Cougars shot 49.2% from the field, 46.2% from long distance, 93.8% from the free-throw line and dished out 21 assists, becoming the first team to ever achieve such numbers in March Madness.
BYU has proven the ability to out-slug other prolific offenses, having done so against the Badgers this past weekend. Thus, Alabama realizes the dire need to corral the Cougars in Newark.
“We’re going to have to really lock in and coaches are going to have to really do a good job getting our guys ready,” Oats said. “Then our guys are going to have to execute the plan is, whatever we decide to put in, and we’re going to have to make adjustments to it, because I’m sure (Young) will make adjustments.”