The No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide will take on the No. 13 Charleston Cougars in the First Round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Below we’ll preview both teams, including analysis and key stats while also providing our prediction. Alabama enters as a 10.5-point favorite at DraftKings Sportsbook.
Alabama
NET: 9
KenPom Overall: 13
KenPom O: 2
KenPom D: 112
Record: 21-11
Strength of Schedule: 5
Conference: SEC
Conference Record: 13-5
Quad 1 Record: 4-10
Can Alabama make it further than their Sweet Sixteen exit in 2023? The Tide dominate most offenses in the nation as they put up 90.8 points per game, but their defense is far from up to par. Alabama’s shortcomings on the defensive end of the court have shown up as the regular season comes to a close, but there’s always a chance that a team can turn things up a notch in the postseason. Guard Mark Sears leads the team with 20 points per game.
Charleston
NET: 97
KenPom Overall: 98
KenPom O: 58
KenPom D: 176
Record: 27-7
Strength of Schedule: 225
Conference: CAA
Conference Record: 15-3
Quad 1 Record: 0-1
Charleston is entering its second straight NCAA Tournament and got to this point by floating around 100 in metrics like NET and KenPom. What stands out about this Cougar team is the high volume of points they get from beyond the arc. 39.5% of their points come from three, which ranks 13th in the nation. It also helps that they can create second-chance opportunities with a 33.5% offensive rebounding rate.
Pick: Alabama
This has the potential to be a close one between two excellent offenses, but Alabama’s high-scoring, high-powered approach has been through more challenging opponents than Charleston this season. While Alabama’s defense has its shortcomings, Charleston ranks outside the top 50 in adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom. Alabama pulls out a close one here.