In a Sweet 16 matchup that many expect to be electric, No. 4 seed Alabama takes on No. 1 seed North Carolina. March Madness games are always very unpredictable, though some will still try to come up with some bold projections.
One prediction that is making the rounds now has to do with the scoring ability of both teams. Could it be possible that this game sets a new all-time March Madness record for the most points scored in a single game? Let’s break it all down.
USA TODAY college basketball experts Paul Myerberg, Erick Smith and Eddie Timanus go as far as saying this contest “will require a second official scorer,” because of how many points there could be.
“OK, this may be a bit of exaggeration. But given the pace that the Crimson Tide love to play at and the ability of the Tar Heels to thrive in an open-court environment, we could be looking at one of the highest-scoring games of the tournament Thursday. Alabama has scored at least 90 points in eight games since the start of February. It has allowed at least 88 nine times in the same span. Don’t expect Alabama coach Nate Oats to go conservative now that the stakes of the tournament have gotten higher. Just sit back and watch the wildness unfold.”
The highest-scoring game in March Madness history was a 1990 round of 32 upset when No. 11 seed Loyola Marymount defeated No. 3 seed Michigan with a final score of 149-115, for a combined total of 264 points. It has the lead by a comfortable margin, with the second-highest-scoring game only having a total of 234 points.
Alabama’s first-round win over Charleston had enough total points to make it the thirteenth-highest-scoring game in March Madness history with a total of over 205.
Let’s face it, the Crimson Tide’s biggest weakness all season has been a lack of defense. In the team’s first two games, Alabama has played spectacular defense, but will that last? If not, it opens the door for the Tar Heels to put up some serious points.
This Sweet 16 contest features the No. 1 scoring offense in the nation (Alabama) and the No. 20 scoring offense (UNC), while also featuring two defenses that aren’t necessarily the strongest.
North Carolina has allowed an average of 70 points per game, which has the Tar Heels ranked No. 70 in the nation. Compared to the Crimson Tide’s rank of No. 345, North Carolina might as well be a brick wall in front of the hoop. Alabama has allowed a whopping 80.9 points per game this season.
Is it likely that a new record is set? Far from it. However, there’s a great chance we see the highest-scoring game of this year’s tournament and possibly have a new entry in the top 10 highest-scoring March Madness games of all time.
Neither team will have this in mind. All that matters is scoring more points than the other team, staying alive, and moving on to the Elite Eight.
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