March Madness 2025: Top 5 captivating storylines to watch out for during Alabama vs BYU | Sweet 16

No. 2 seed Alabama takes on No. 6 seed BYU in a Sweet 16 encounter on Thursday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Last season's Final Four qualifier Alabama beat Robert Morris and Saint Mary's in the first two rounds to set up a last-16 clash with BYU, which got past VCU and Wisconsin.

It's a battle of two of the most dynamic offenses in the nation, with the Crimson Tide leading the nation on the average points scored statistic at 90.8 points per game. BYU's offense, on the other hand, isn't shabby either, ranking 25th with an average of 81.2 ppg. Both teams shoot in the 48% region, with Alabama making 48.3% of its shots while BYU makes 48.2% of its shots.

Kevin Young's Cougars have a penchant for making 3-point baskets and are ranked eighth in the nation with 10.6 3-pointers made during each outing. On the other hand, Nate Oats' Crimson Tide is not far behind and makes 10.2 a game, which ranks them at No. 20.

Aside from the stats battle, there are some interesting storylines that fans should look forward to during this Sweet 16 encounter. Let's take a look at five of these ahead of the Alabama-BYU clash.

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Top 5 captivating storylines to watch out for during Alabama and BYU's Sweet 16 clash

#5. Can Alabama limit Richie Saunders?

Richie Saunders has led BYU's offense averaging 16.3 ppg. The 6-foot-5 forward has shot 51.1% from the field and a sizzling-hot 43.1% from downtown. Containing him will be Nate Oats's No. 1 problem. Oats has to map out an effective defensive scheme to stop him.

The Crimson Tide coach has a plethora of skilled forwards, who could stop Saunders's offensive attack, in Jarin Stevenson, Aiden Sherrell and Grant Nelson. Stevenson and Sherell are tall forwards who can obstruct the BYU forward's scoring range using their length.

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#4. BYU hopes to reach first Final Four

BYU has been to 31 NCAA Tournaments but has never made it to the Final Four. They hope the 32nd time would be a charm for the team that had its first NCAA Tournament game in 1950.

There's always a first time; just ask Alabama, which qualified for the Final Four last season after years of frustration. If BYU moves past Alabama on Thursday, they'll make the Elite Eight, which will take them one step closer to making their first-ever Final Four.

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#3. Nate Oats vs. Kevin Young

Alabama's Nate Oats will meet BYU's Kevin Young in what could become a tactical clash. Oats has become one of the most successful coaches in recent times, going 144-62 while calling the shots for Alabama. Under his guidance, the Crimson Tide has gone to five consecutive NCAA Tournaments, something which Kevin Young probably hopes to replicate in the next few years.

Young has had a good start to his NCAA head coaching career, helping the Cougars win 26 of their 35 games this season. The team's entry into the Sweet 16 is their first since 2011 and he will be hoping to secure their first Elite Eight ticket since 1981.

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#2. Fireworks at the Prudential

Expect a Sweet 16 shootout between Alabama and BYU at the Prudential Center, as both teams make the top 13 of KenPom's adjusted offensive efficiency rankings. Alabama is No. 4 in the nation with an offensive rating of 127.62, while the Cougars are tenth with a rating of 125.5.

The expectation for this game is that it will be a shootout, with both teams shooting over 48% from the field and over 34% from beyond the arc so far this season. But with the pressure and stakes being high, expect Alabama and BYU to be tight at first before they go lights-out in the crucial stages of the game.

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#1. Who will win the playmakers' duel between Mark Sears and Egor Demin?

The clash between two of the most dynamic guards in the nation will take place on Thursday night. Senior Mark Sears has helped Alabama become one of the nation's top offenses, averaging 18.6 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists.

Sears's improved playmaking has positioned the Crimson Tide as one of the most balanced scoring crews in the country and has caused a lot of headaches for opponents as they try to defend this unstoppable machine.

On the other hand, Egor Demin has emerged as the heart and soul of the Cougars' offense despite just being a freshman. Hailing from Moscow in Russia, Demin has shown that he can ball with the best guards in the nation as evidenced by his averages of 10.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 5.4 apg and 1.1 spg.