Alabama's March Madness Loss Against San Deigo Could Determine Their Elite Eight Placement

On March 16th, one of the biggest March Madness Sweet 16 games is set to take place. #1 Alabama Crimson Tide will face off against San Diego State in a match that could determine their fate as NCAA tournament participants.

San Diego State has been an impressive team this season, boasting a strong defensive record with only two losses all season long.

1. Defeated by San Deigo

No.1 seed Alabama fell short in the Sweet 16 after suffering an abject March Madness defeat against San Deigo. This shocking defeat came despite their dominance and this being their third consecutive season as a top seed in the tournament.

Alabama had an impressive 26-5 record that placed them among the nation's top teams. They even won the SEC title and were considered atop favorite to win the national championship; however, their last two games were lost by more than 20 points to San Diego State, who made their first-ever Elite Eight appearance. Despite these setbacks, Alabama still managed to finish among the top eight in both conferences.

The Crimson Tide started off strong but faltered in the second half as San Diego State got physical and slowed their pace. Even Brandon Miller, who had been leading his team throughout, couldn't help them recover and they were ultimately defeated 87-82 by San Diego State.

There are still plenty of positives to take away from this game as the Aztecs were a formidable team with talented players like Alex Bradley and Jae Parrish. They boast plenty of experience on their side and are known for their hard-hitting style of play.

Additionally, the Aztecs possess a formidable defense that makes them difficult to cope with. They are ranked fourth nationally in opponent 3-point percentage and fifth overall defensive efficiency - which will prove advantageous against an Alabama team that shoots an impressively high percentage of their shots from long range.

The Crimson Tide are heavy favorites to win this game and may well score the winning points. But it will be a tough matchup, so they may struggle in the first half. On the plus side, their recent play has been encouraging; this could be their best performance of the season so far.

2. Defeated by San Deigo

Alabama's history of dominating opponents makes this defeat to San Diego State something of a shocker. As the top overall seed, few expected them to face off against No. 5 seed San Diego State, sixth-seeded Creighton or 15th-seeded Princeton - all making their first Elite Eight appearance since 2004.

For much of this season, the Aztecs have been a formidable challenger to Alabama, winning seven out of their last eight games by an impressive combined score of 107-93. But while they boast a talented group of players - including two seniors who can score freely - what has really set them apart is their relentless defensive approach to playing the game.

One of the Aztecs' standout strategies is their 3-on-the-fly shooting strategy, which has allowed them to shoot under 40% from deep in all four tournament games. Furthermore, the Aztecs boast one of college basketball's few teams with a double-digit turnover rate.

Though they may not have won the top prize in this year's tournament, San Diego State Aztecs are making a name for themselves and deserve to reach the Sweet 16 if they can just hang on for another win. Led by senior stars Jahvon Quinerly and forward Nick Pringle, who can take the ball to the basket with ease, and equipped with big men in the wings to match up against Alabama's defense on Thursday night, it will be interesting to see how these big men stack up against each other.

3. Defeated by San Deigo

On Friday night, the top-seeded Alabama Crimson Tide suffered a 71-64 loss to San Diego State Aztecs in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament. Though Alabama appeared to be invincible this year's tournament, San Diego State used an impressive defensive performance to send them packing from the Final Four.

It wasn't the first time the Aztecs made an impact at March Madness tournament, but this performance was especially remarkable coming from a team ranked 25th nationally in basketball efficiency. Despite an encouraging start, they struggled to get going early in the first half; however, their impressive defense effectively blocked several Alabama attempts at scoring.

At the title game, freshman forward Brandon Miller was the star of the show with 33 points on 17 shots. But it was the defense that truly set this one apart - they limited Alabama to only nine points in the second half while keeping them from making too many errors.

Despite their loss, Alabama's Crimson Tide remain an impressive team with some of the finest young talent in America. Their roster boasts players with potential to be dominant forces within and beyond the Big Ten conference, such as Jahvon Quinerly, Nick Pringle and Brandon Miller. If they can reach their full potential, Alabama could potentially earn an Elite Eight berth.

4. Defeated by San Deigo

At March Madness tournament in Louisville, Kentucky, Alabama was expected to make it all the way to the Elite Eight - but a shocking loss against San Deigo was an enormous setback for their team. As fifth-seeded Aztecs made an incredible run and sent No 1 seed Alabama packing for the first time ever in their history.

It was a nail-biter throughout, but San Deigo eventually took control and went on to win by nine points. Crimson Tide star Brandon Miller had an awful night - he shot 3-of-19 from the field with nine turnovers in the game.

Another key factor was the Aztecs' defense, which had held Utah State, Charleston and Furman to under 60 points in each of their previous three games. With such a formidable defensive squad, they will face an uphill challenge when Alabama visits them on Friday evening in the Sweet 16.

Unfortunately for Alabama, they suffered their first loss since 2004, losing their second game of the tournament against Creighton on March 24. With such a heavyweight field ahead of them in the Sweet 16, this could be their best opportunity ever to reach the Elite Eight for the first time ever.