BYU Holds a ‘Mormon’ Edge Over Alabama Basketball in NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, Amid ESPN’s Mixed Predictions

BYU has some key advantages over Alabama Basketball in Thursday’s NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 matchup.

The BYU Cougars hold one significant edge over Alabama Basketball in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16. It’s not their 6’9″ Russian point guard, but rather the fact that as a Mormon institution, BYU is prohibited from playing basketball on Sundays. This results in the Cougars being placed on the Thursday-Saturday schedule, while some teams on the Friday-Sunday slate get five days of rest. Alabama, however, plays with only three days of rest, as they faced St. Mary’s on Sunday, while BYU played Wisconsin on Saturday, giving the Cougars an extra day to recover.

While the additional day of rest may not have a major impact, it could slightly reduce Alabama’s tempo advantage over BYU.

Alabama has been facing a challenge linked to religion throughout the tournament. As a practicing Muslim, Mo Dioubate cannot eat during the daytime hours of Ramadan. On Thursday, the sun will set in Newark around 6:15 PM CST, just six minutes after the scheduled tip-off at 6:09 PM. While the Alabama coaching staff will likely have a solid plan for Mo, his inability to properly fuel himself before the game presents another benefit for BYU.

These factors don’t lead me to predict a BYU victory. The Cougars are a tough opponent with a challenging style of play, but I align with the ESPN computer model, which gives Alabama a 64.8% chance of winning.

ESPN Experts Predicting a BYU Victory Over Alabama Basketball

Some ESPN analysts, however, are not as confident in Alabama’s chances. Jeff Borzello and Myron Medcalf have both predicted BYU will upset the Crimson Tide. While these predictions may prove correct, three other trusted computer models I follow have Alabama winning by three to five points.

Alabama fans have a legitimate reason to be concerned. Over the last six games, Mark Sears has attempted 35 three-pointers but has only made five, shooting just 14.2%. For Alabama to win close games, they need much better production from Sears beyond the arc. However, Sears has contributed in other areas, especially in the Robert Morris game, where he recorded 10 assists and went 11-for-13 at the free-throw line.