Fresh off a victory over Iona, Alabama basketball will face a Maryland team with a hot hand and taste for the upset.
March Madness is all about upsets, but is No. 2 Alabama in danger of being knocked off by No. 10 seed Maryland when they meet on Monday?
In the Round of 64, it wasn’t exactly easy sledding for the Tide, who pulled away for a 68-55 victory over No. 15 seed Iona. The Gaels trailed by just one point at halftime.
Meanwhile, Maryland controlled their win against No. 7 seed UConn from start to finish, hitting 51.2 percent of their field goal attempts and 50 percent of their three-point shots. On the other side of the floor, they held the Huskies to 32.3 percent shooting from the field.
Does Alabama basketball have anything to fear from Maryland?
The worry for Alabama is Maryland shooting lights out again.
The Terrapins got a big game out of Eric Ayala, who led all scorers with 23 despite early foul trouble keeping him off the court, and Aaron Wiggins, who knocked down 4-of-6 triples.
Alabama has a clear advantage on the defensive side. Maryland short above their season averages on Saturday, particularly from distance where they normally hit 35.8 percent of their shots. The Tide are one of the best teams in the NCAA when it comes to limiting three-point percentage.
Maryland was also lucky UConn didn’t punish certain aspects of their performance. The Terps were outrebounded 29-40. They allowed 22 offensive rebounds. The Tide should be able to control the glass when they meet.
In short, Alabama should fear Maryland the way every higher seed should be on guard against lower seeds. Upsets for No. 1 seed Illinois on Sunday and No. 2 Ohio State in the Round of 64 prove every team can be caught off guard.
However, this isn’t an upset in the making unless the Tide open the door for it first. Herbert Jones and company are the better team with more depth and talent. If Alabama plays defense as well as they have all season and takes care of the boards, they’ll be fine.
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