The Athletic has live coverage of Florida vs. Texas Tech and Duke vs. Alabama in the Elite Eight of the Men’s NCAA Tournament
The Elite Eight is bringing the fire!
In the first of two games Saturday, the swarming offense of Texas Tech will lock horns with the relentless scoring prowess and swagger of Florida. It also will be a clash of two of the best up-and-coming coaches in the country.
Following that will be a battle of blue blood versus rising tide, as Duke brings its storied legacy and a ton of talent to take on Alabama’s high-octane attack in a heavyweight showdown dripping with Final Four stakes.
Four teams, two tickets, and only the toughest survive — and we’ll do it again Sunday! Like always, The Athletic has you covered with analysis and coverage.
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 3 Texas Tech
6:09 p.m. ET on TBS
Don’t celebrate too early; you never know what can happen. Texas Tech trailed Arkansas by 6 points with 1:10 remaining but pushed the game to OT and sent the Razorbacks home scratching their heads.
Tech beat Arkansas by attacking the offensive glass. Over their last five games, the Red Raiders have averaged 14.4 offensive rebounds per game, including 22 against Arkansas. To beat Florida, they will need to continue that effort and make 3s.
Both teams can score in bunches and seem to play better when the game is on the line. You won’t see any panic from either squad, as both had to overcome deficits to punch their tickets to the Elite Eight.
Both offenses are among the top five in the country, but Florida has three guards capable of putting up 20 points with ease. How Tech defends them in the pick-and-roll will be crucial.
Tech’s best offense is letting Darrion Williams and/or Elijah Hawkins operate in the pick-and-roll with Big 12 player of the year JT Toppin. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
Both teams have future NBA players who could be drafted in the next couple of years, so expect them to show up big. But keep an eye on Texas Tech freshman Christian Anderson Jr. He’s coming off a career-high 22 points and will need to make shots if Chance McMillian (upper body) is still out.
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 2 Alabama
8:49 p.m. ET on TBS
I filled out 37 brackets this year, and this was the game I was stuck on.
Alabama has the offense, star power, length and experience to beat Duke, but that’s easier said than done.
Duke is efficient on both ends of the floor. Offensively, the Blue Devils rank in the top 10 in 2-point and 3-point percentage, so they should be able to score with Alabama despite playing at a slower pace.
Alabama is the third-oldest team in the field, and that experience could be an advantage in key moments. Duke starts three freshmen; they are all very good but have never played in a game of this importance. They have been flawless all season, but we’ve seen that March Madness can sometimes be too much for freshmen.
Who guards Cooper Flagg and how? Pay attention to what Alabama does defensively when Flagg has the ball in pick-and-roll situations.
The Blue Devils were outrebounded in two of their three losses. The key to taking down Duke is owning the glass, and Alabama has the size, depth and athleticism to do so.
Both teams can score at will and this could be a high-scoring affair despite the elite defenses. The first to 80 wins.
(Photo: Ben Solomon / Getty Images)
