Tide, Tigers in same Sweet 16 for first time since 1986: What you need to know before games tip off
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39 years ago, the average price of a gallon of gas was 86 cents. The No. 1 movie in the theaters was Pretty in Pink with Molly Ringwald. Nick Saban was an assistant coach at Michigan State.
Oh, and Alabama + Auburn men’s basketball teams were both playing in the Sweet 16.
1986 was the last time both programs made it to the second weekend of the tournament. And after a historic regular season for both teams, the Crimson Tide and the Tigers have lived up to the hype during the big dance… so far.
Keep reading to learn more about the next step for each game + what history could come next.
No. 2 Alabama vs. No. 6 BYU
After a pair of relatively comfortable victories to open the tournament, Alabama will head to Newark in search of a second consecutive Elite 8 performance.
The Crimson Tide is in the Sweet 16 for the third straight season + the 12th time in program history. Here’s what you need to know about the team’s next matchup:
- Who: No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (27-8) vs. No. 6 BYU Cougars (26-9)
- When: 6:09PM central | Thursday, March 27
- Where: Prudential Center, Newark, NJ
- Watch: CBS
- More info
Alabama has won both previous meetings with the Cougars including a 71-59 win in Brooklyn in 2018. The Crimson Tide opened as a 5.5-point favorite.
No. 1 Auburn vs. No. 5 Michigan
While Auburn sputtered down the stretch of the regular season, the Tigers have certainly looked like the No. 1 overall seed through two tournament games.
But the opposition certainly gets tougher this week as a date with the Big Ten Tournament champions awaits. Here’s what you need to know before tip:
- Who: No. 1 Auburn Tigers (30-5) vs. No. 5 Michigan Wolverines (27-9)
- When: Approx. 8:39PM central | Friday, March 28
- Where: State Farm Arena, Atlanta, GA
- Watch: CBS
- More info
Auburn’s tip-off time is just an estimation as it will be the second game of the day in Atlanta. The Tigers and Wolverines will tip off roughly 30 minutes after the Ole Miss-Michigan State ends.
The Tigers open as a 9.5-point favorite over Michigan.
Potential Elite 8
While the two programs have shared a Sweet 16 stage twice before, there has never been a year when both teams made it to the Elite 8.
Alabama will be searching for consecutive Elite 8 appearances for the first time in program history, trying to follow up on the program’s first ever Final Four appearance from last season.
If Alabama wins Thursday, the Tide will take on the winner of No. 1 Duke vs. Arizona in the next round. The Elite 8 game would be played Saturday with a tip-off time TBD.
Meanwhile, the Tigers are also searching for their third ever Elite 8 appearance, last making it in 2019 during the team’s Final Four run.
With a win, Auburn would move on to play against the winner of Ole Miss-Michigan State in the South Regional Final scheduled for Sunday.
How far do you think each team goes in this year’s tournament? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
