Texas Tech Aims to Slow Down Fast-Paced Alabama in Round of 32 Matchup

Red Raiders look to control tempo against Crimson Tide's high-octane offense

Mar. 22, 2026 at 2:49am

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Texas Tech and Alabama will face off in the Round of 32 of the NCAA tournament, with the Red Raiders looking to slow down the Crimson Tide's fast-paced offense. Texas Tech's point guard Christian Anderson says the team can't "fall for the bait" and get drawn into Alabama's up-tempo style, while Alabama's Labaron Philon leads the fourth-fastest offense in the country. Texas Tech's Donovan Atwell is a key shooter who could help the Red Raiders keep up, but the team knows it needs to limit Alabama's transition opportunities.

Why it matters

This matchup represents a clash of styles, with Texas Tech's slow, half-court offense going up against Alabama's high-octane, fast-paced attack. The outcome could come down to which team is able to dictate the tempo and rhythm of the game.

The details

Texas Tech point guard Christian Anderson says the Red Raiders can't "fall for the bait" and get drawn into Alabama's fast-paced style of play. Alabama, led by point guard Labaron Philon, ranks fourth nationally in adjusted tempo. Texas Tech, on the other hand, ranks 253rd in adjusted tempo and wants to slow the game down. Donovan Atwell, Texas Tech's second-leading active scorer, is a 46% three-point shooter who could help the Red Raiders keep up, but the team knows it needs to limit Alabama's transition opportunities.

  • The Round of 32 matchup between Texas Tech and Alabama will take place on Sunday.

The players

Christian Anderson

Texas Tech's starting point guard and a Third Team All-American.

Labaron Philon

Alabama's starting point guard and a Third Team All-American.

Donovan Atwell

Texas Tech's second-leading active scorer and a 46% three-point shooter.

Grant McCasland

Texas Tech's head coach.

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What they’re saying

“We can't be rushing shots, playing through their hands, and like we call it, falling for the bait. They love to play with speed. They love to get out in transition force you take bad shots, and that's how they get a lot of their points. So we've just got to control the pace.”

— Christian Anderson, Texas Tech point guard

“They like to play fast, and they are great at scoring. In transition, they like to get out quick. Limiting them in transition is going to help a lot for us, making them have to run their half-court sets.”

— Donovan Atwell, Texas Tech player

“We don't mind the up-tempo pace. That's not really the issue. But can we keep that up over the course of 40 minutes, and how do we make sure that we keep our best players on the floor? That's where Alabama, obviously, has got a little more depth.”

— Grant McCasland, Texas Tech head coach

What’s next

The winner of the Texas Tech-Alabama matchup will advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

The takeaway

This game will come down to a battle of styles, with Texas Tech looking to slow the pace and force Alabama into a half-court game, while the Crimson Tide will try to push the tempo and take advantage of their depth and transition scoring opportunities.