NCAA Tournament in Spokane: Previewing Sunday’s games at the Arena

(12) Grand Canyon vs. (4) Alabama

Gametime: The Antelopes (30-4), coming off their first NCAA Tournament win in program history – a 75-66 upset of fifth-seeded Saint Mary’s – tip off at 4:10 p.m. Sunday against the Crimson Tide (22-11), who raced past No. 13 seed Charleston 109-96 on Friday.

Key matchup: Two of the best guards in the Big Dance will square off when Alabama’s Mark Sears and GCU’s Tyon Grant-Foster take the floor. Sears was electric against Charleston, pouring in 30 points on 69.2% shooting. Grant-Foster made clutch plays throughout the second half against Saint Mary’s and finished with 22 points.

What to look for: GCU played an impressive defensive game Friday and never really let Saint Mary’s get comfortable. To spring another upset, the Lopes will need an exceptional defensive effort. It’d be unwise to get into a shootout with the Crimson Tide. The nation’s top scoring team, Alabama plays with explosive tempo and boasts offensive weapons all around the court. The Tide may be shaky on defense, but their offense can turn a tight game into a blowout in a flash – that’s exactly what Alabama did its opener.

Prediction: Alabama 98-89

(5) San Diego State vs. (13) Yale

Game time: The Aztecs (25-10) and Bulldogs (23-9) tip off at 6:40 p.m.

Key matchup: SDSU forward Jaedon LeDee is coming off a 32-point, eight-rebound effort against UAB and he got stronger with the game on the line in the final minutes. Yale answers with 7-footer Danny Wolf, but he will need some help inside against the physical LeDee.

What to look for: Both teams rank in the top 40 in points given up, so expect a low-scoring game. SDSU has better size and depth; then again, so did Auburn, which had no answer for the hot shooting of 6-6 guard John Poulakidas (10 for 15 from the field for 28 points). Yale won’t beat itself. The Bulldogs have turned the ball over just 227 times (7.1 per game) to rank third in Division 1. A supposed weakness is the lack of depth. Yale employs a seven-man rotation, but that didn’t seem to matter in the 78-76 win over Auburn, as the Bulldogs overcame a late 10-point deficit. The Aztecs are tournament tested, with several players back from last year’s national runner-up squad. Yale is coming off back-to-back nailbiters in the Ivy League Tournament title game and on Friday in the Arena. What better test is that?

Prediction: San Diego State 63-58.