Elite Eight Saturday Preview: Florida vs. Texas Tech, Duke vs. Bama

Thursday’s slate of Sweet 16 contests has set up an intriguing pair of Elite Eight games. In the West Region, the No. 1 seed Florida Gators will look to squash the No. 3 seed Texas Tech who are coming off a thrilling overtime win. Over in the East, the top-two seeds clash as No. 1 Duke takes on No. 2 Alabama in a battle of elite offenses. Who will prevail? We’ll preview both games and give our prediction for who we think will punch their tickets to San Antonio.

#3 Texas Tech vs. #1 Florida (6:09 PM EST/3:09 PM PST)

Big 12 meets SEC in a battle between the Red Raiders and the Gators. These two teams had wildly different experiences during their Sweet 16 matchups. Florida coasted against Maryland, outscoring the Terps by 14 in the second half en route to a 87-71 victory. Florida shot 50-percent from the field, 39-percent from three, and dominated the glass (42 to 20) as they punched their ticket to the Elite Eight. Tech needed a late comeback and overtime to take down Arkansas. They were down 16 points with less than 10 minutes remaining, but rallied down the stretch.

This game may ultimately come down to Florida’s backcourt versus Texas Tech’s frontcourt. The Gator guards have been excellent all year. All-American Walter Clayton Jr. was the main catalyst in their Round of 32 win over Connecticut, knocking down a number of timely shots in the 77-75 victory. Alijah Martin is averaging 16.3 PPG in the tournament, and Will Richard led all Gators in scoring (15) against Maryland.

For the Red Raiders, it was JT Toppin and Darrion Williams who led the way. Toppin, a second-team All-American, has gone over 20 in each of the last two and is shooting 69-percent from the field in the tournament. Williams hit the clutch triple to send the game versus Arkansas into overtime, and converted the game-winning basket during the extra frame. Williams is posting averages of 20.3 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 3.3 APG during the tournament

While Texas Tech may have an advantage up front, the Gators’ rotation of big men is nothing to scoff at. Alex Condon, Rueben Chinyelu, and Thomas Haugh will at least pose some resistance to the Red Raiders’ two stars. Conversely, Elijah Hawkins will have to be better than his 1-for-10 showing in the Sweet 16. Hawkins’ lone basket was a timely three-pointer in overtime, but he can’t shoot that poorly if Texas Tech wants a chance to upset the Gators.

Texas Tech has the talent to compete, but Florida’s overwhelming attack will lead them to a Final Four berth.

#2 Alabama vs. #1 Duke (8:49 PM EST/5:49 PM PST)

In what could end up being the highest scoring contest of the entire tournament, the 1-seed Blue Devils take on the 2-seed Crimson Tide. Both teams reached the century mark in their Sweet 16 matchups. Duke shot 60-percent from the field against Arizona, with All-American Cooper Flagg going off for 30 points, 7 assists, and 6 rebounds. It was a record-breaking performance for Alabama. Nate Oats’ team knocked down 25 threes — a tournament record — on 51 attempts in a 113-88 win over BYU. Senior guard Mark Sears led the way going 10-for-16 beyond the arc.

Duke’s talent is arguably the best in the entire field. This is an elite roster built by Jon Scheyer with a strong mix of freshman, upperclassmen and transfers. Flagg is the star, but it’s more than just him. Freshman Kon Knueppel and Tulane transfer Sion James combined for 36 points on 13 field goal attempts. Center Khaman Maluach recorded 4 blocks in just 24 minutes and is shooting 87-percent from the field this tournament.

Thursday’s record-breaking three-point onslaught was brilliant from Alabama. BYU had no answers for Sears and the rest of the Crimson Tide’s offense. Sophomore guard Aden Holloway can light up in a hurry, and poured in six triples from off the bench. Alabama had 27 assists on 35 made baskets against BYU, and held one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country to just 6-of-30 from beyond the arc.

Alabama is entering the game with a ton of confidence, but Duke is a much more difficult defense to crack. The Blue Devils can score at will, but they also have the personnel to challenge the Crimson Tide defensively. If the game is close, Flagg has shown he can create for himself and convert tough baskets. The Blue Devils march their way to another Final Four bid.