The 2025 men’s NCAA Tournament is in full swing. After starting with 68 teams, the field is down to 16. A Sweet 16, that is.
Tournament action continues when the Sweet 16 tips off on Thursday, featuring a matchup between Alabama and BYU in the East Region
The Alabama Crimson Tide earned a No. 2 seed in the 2025 March Madness bracket. They knocked off the Robert Morris Colonials in the first round and the Saint Mary’s Gaels in the Round of 32 to reach this point. Alabama’s opponent, the 6-seeded BYU Cougars, earned a trip to Newark, N.J. after defeating the VCU Rams and the Wisconsin Badgers.
Alabama ranks as the sixth-best team in the KenPom rankings, sporting the fourth-best offense and 29th-best defense. Meanwhile, BYU ranks 24th overall with the ninth-ranked offense and 71st-ranked defense.
Here’s how our experts see Thursday’s Sweet 16 clash playing out. Be sure to check out the complete Sweet 16 schedule, times and TV info.
Three of our four experts are expecting the Tide to keep rolling into the Elite Eight, while USA TODAY’s Craig Meyer is the lone wolf on BYU to win outright. Tuscaloosa News’ Emilee Smarr is the only one backing the over 175.5-point total and Tide Wire’s Matt Melton is the only one backing Alabama to cover the 4.5-point spread.