The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from Los Angeles with a recap of Alabama-North Carolina.
There were plenty of basketball alumni in the crowd from both schools who know a LOT about winning titles including 7-time NBA champ Robert Horry…
3-time NCAA champ Roy Williams…
3-time NBA champ Danny Green…
3-time NBA champ James Worthy (which is surreal because his retired Lakers jersey is hanging up in the rafters of this arena!)…
And 10-time NBA champ (3 as a player/7 as an executive) Mitch Kupchak
I expected plenty of offense in a game featuring 2 of the top offenses in the nation…and they did not disappoint. I knew that the senior stars in the Bama backcourt would show up and they did: Aaron Estrada made jump shots from all over the court, while Mark Sears knocked down a pair of threes and a couple of layups. The surprise was their sophomore teammate Rylan Griffen, who must have been “ryled” up before the game because he came out and drilled 4 shots from behind the arc during the 1st half. However, UNC SR G Cormac Ryan matched him with 4 of his own, while his teammates Harrison Ingram/Elliot Cadeau each made 2, and SR F Armando Bacot was dominating the paint with layup after dunk as the Tar Heels cruised to a 54-46 halftime lead.
Bacot kept playing like an All-American in the 2nd stanza, finishing with a double-double, and his fellow SR RJ Davis FINALLY started to contribute with a couple of layups and a pull-up jumper. While Estrada answered Davis shot for shot, it was HIS fellow SR Grant Nelson who ended up the hero. The 6’11” transfer from North Dakota State had the best 20 minutes of his life (making a couple of reverse layups, a 3, and an old-fashioned 3-PT play) to end up with 24 PTS/12 REB/5 BLK and a spot in the Elite 8 after a hard-fought 89-87 victory.
Instead of attending the postgame press conference I headed to the Alabama locker room for a pair of interviews, but on the way I bumped into Alabama athletic director/NCAA selection committee member Greg Byrne (who was in a VERY good mood):
FR F Jarin Stevenson
You grew up in Chapel Hill: how did it feel to face North Carolina? It was great to play against a team whose campus was just 10 minutes away from the house I grew up in.
How did you pull off the upset? We just made the correct adjustments, followed the game plan, and watched some film.
Your teammate Grant Nelson was the hero: how was he able to play so well after 2 underwhelming performances in the 1st/2nd round last week? Grant realized that he was not at his best and knew that he could make a bigger impact tonight. We have seen him play well in practice so I was not surprised at all.
What do you know about Clemson? We lost to them back in November. They are a very physical team that can pound it inside with PJ Hall.
Your father Jarod played pro basketball in the US/overseas for 2 decades, your uncle Greg played pro basketball, and your mother Nicole was a 3-time ACC champ at UNC: who is the best athlete in the family? Me! I watched my dad when he played in the Korean Basketball League: he was a great shooter/slasher…but is older now.
SR G Mark Sears
Your teammate Grant Nelson was the hero: how was he able to play so well after 2 underwhelming performances in the 1st/2nd round last week? Grant just took over the ballgame. Coach Oats told me to try to shoot more…but I told him no because nobody could stop Grant!
You scored a game-high 23 PTS when you faced Clemson last November: how were you able to be so effective? Just being aggressive, which is what I have done all year.
When you transferred from Ohio did you think that this result was possible? Yes: it just shows that all the work and countless hours I spent on my game have paid off, and is why I believe in myself.
In the 2023 Sweet 16 you had 16 PTS/10 REB in a 7-PT loss to San Diego State: what is the biggest difference from last year to this year? We lost that game as a #1 seed, but we switched roles this year and just upset the #1 seed due to our underdog mentality.
How will you prepare for the rematch with the Tigers? We will see what lessons can be learned, see how we lost the 1st game, and improve for Saturday.
That is a wrap for the Sweet 16, check back this weekend for some Elite 8 coverage.