March Madness bracket busters 2024: 5 high seeds who will go down early

Alabama Crimson Tide

There is a lot to like about Alabama on paper. The Crimson Tide put together an elite non-conference schedule to get themselves ready for March Madness as Nate Oats scheduled Purdue, Creighton, Arizona, Clemson and Indiana State early in the season, games that set up his team for success in the SEC.

Things looked really good for Alabama early in SEC play as the Crimson Tide blitzed opponents with their elite offense, averaging 90.8 points per game to lead the nation. Teams started to figure out Alabama at the end of the season, however, as they dropped four of their final six games to enter March Madness a bit cold.

Oats' offense operates with a very specific shot profile as Alabama eschews the mid-range game in favor of layups and threes, where they attempt over 30 per game. If those shots aren't falling things can be problematic since Alabama's defense allows 81.1 points per game, making life difficult in a setup where the Crimson Tide have to win shootouts to advance.

Getting past Charleston shouldn't be too difficult for Alabama, but drawing either Saint Mary's or Grand Canyon in the Round of 32 is tough when they have to fly across the country for this pod. Either of those teams can score with Alabama, making it tough for the Crimson Tide to get through.