BYU Basketball Will Face No. 2 Seed Alabama In NCAA Sweet 16
Mar 23, 2025, 6:50 PM | Updated: 10:08 pm
BYU basketball will face the Alabama Crimson Tide in the East Region NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 on Thursday in Newark, New Jersey.
PROVO, Utah – BYU basketball found out who their opponent will be in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
On Sunday, No. 2 seed Alabama defeated No. 7 seed Saint Mary’s in the second round of the East Region in Cleveland, Ohio. The Crimson Tide defeated the Gaels 80-66.
BYU basketball will face No. 2 seed Alabama in the Sweet 16 on Thursday in Newark, New Jersey.
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 24, 2025
Alabama had six players score in double figures, led by Chris Youngblood’s 13 points to send the Crimson Tide to their fourth Sweet 16 in the last five years.
BYU basketball will face No. 2 seed Alabama in the Sweet 16
BYU knocked off No. 3 seed Wisconsin, 91-89, in Denver on Saturday, advancing to the second weekend of the “Big Dance” for the first time since 2011.
BYU versus Alabama will be played on Thursday, March 27, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. The game will tip-off at 5:09 p.m. (MDT) and be televised on CBS.
History between the Cougars and Crimson Tide
Thursday’s matchup will be the third meeting all-time between BYU and Alabama on the hardwood.
The two programs last met in 2017 as part of the Barclays Center Classic. Alabama, who Avery Johnson coached then, defeated BYU, led by Dave Rose, 71-59.
BYU is 0-2 all-time against Alabama in men's basketball.
2017: 59-71 at Long Island University
1957: 74-77 in Tuscaloosa
— Mitch Harper (@Mitch_Harper) March 24, 2025
The first meeting between the programs was on December 30, 1957, in Tuscaloosa. Alabama won that game as well, 77-74.
Alabama has become a national powerhouse under current head coach Nate Oats.
The Crimson Tide reached the Final Four for the first time in program history last year.
High-powered offenses
Oats has orchestrated high-powered offenses in Tuscaloosa. Over the past four seasons, including this year, Alabama has produced Top 20 offenses.
This year’s Alabama squad has the country’s highest-scoring offense, averaging 91.1 points per game.
BYU boasts the 25th-scoring offense in the country at 81.2 points per game.
ALABAMA IS MOVING ON 🔥
The Crimson Tide knock off (7) Saint Mary's 80-66 to move on to the Sweet 16 🐘 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/yfoz4Aaee5
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 24, 2025
In the Cougars’ win over Wisconsin on Saturday, they scored 91 points to get past the Badgers.
Consensus All-American guard Mark Sears lead Alabama.
In Sunday’s win over Saint Mary’s, Sears had 12 points and three assists.
KSL Sports will be on location in Newark to cover BYU-Alabama throughout the week.
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.
