With their opponent decided in the First Four matchup on Wednesday night, Alabama now takes on Notre Dame in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament.
Entering the 2022 NCAA Tournament as a six-seed, Alabama is coming off a regular season in which the Crimson Tide finished with a 19-13 overall record, as well as going 9-10 in conference play (regular and postseason). Despite having lost three-straight entering the Big Dance, the Crimson Tide are a dangerous team when fully-clicking offensively, and have one of the nation’s most-notable resumes owning wins over nine NCAA Tournament teams, including top seeds such as Gonzaga, Baylor, and Tennessee.
While the Crimson Tide have struggled defensively allowing a combined 76.4 PPG to opponents this season, Alabama is one of the top offensive teams in the country averaging 80 PPG (12th-most nationally), led by the exciting guard trio of Jaden Shackelford, Jahvon Quinerly, and Keon Ellis. Freshman JD Davison is also a key guard for the Crimson Tide, while the frontcourt sees a rotation of names such as Charles Bediako, Noah Gurley, Juwan Gary, Darius Miles, and James Rojas, each of which will see time.
Notre Dame on the other hand won their First Four matchup on Wednesday night as mentioned previously, defeating Rutgers 89-87 in a thrilling double-overtime contest to reach the first round. Bringing the Fighting Irish’s record for the year to 23-10, the win also marked Notre Dame’s fifth win over an NCAA Tournament team this season, a list that includes Kentucky, North Carolina, Miami, and Texas A&M-CC.
One of the ACC’s top teams during conference play at 15-5, Notre Dame is ranked as the No. 27 team nationally in offensive efficiency according to KenPom, a group that is averaging 73 PPG led by three double-digit scorers in Blake Wesley, Dane Goodwin, and Paul Atkinson Jr. Notre Dame’s rotation however only goes seven-deep, meaning that the only other options that will likely see time are guards Prentiss Hubb, Cormac Ryan, and Trey Wertz, as well as forward Nate Lastewski.
Alabama vs Notre Dame Odds: Line, Spread, Over/Under
The odds for Alabama vs Notre Dame can be found here.
Alabama vs Notre Dame 2022 NCAA Tournament Prediction
Two impressive offensive teams, this is likely set to be a high-scoring game between the Crimson Tide and Fighting Irish, one that you could certainly argue that Alabama should win. I’ll say that Alabama wins here in the first round, setting up what should be an intriguing second round matchup. Prediction: Alabama 76, Notre Dame 69
What channel is the Alabama vs Notre Dame Game On?
A first round matchup in the West Region, Alabama vs Notre Dame will be played on Friday, March 18 from Viejas Arena in San Diego, CA. The game will tip-off at 4:15 pm ET, and will be available on TNT.
Alabama vs Notre Dame Live Stream
A live stream of Alabama vs Notre Dame on fuboTV can be found here.