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The No. 1 seed North Carolina Tar Heels (29-7) and the No. 4 seed Alabama Crimson Tide (23-11) will square off in the second regional semifinal at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Thursday, with a place in the Elite Eight of the NCAA March Madness Tournament at stake.
North Carolina have bounced back in strong fashion from their ACC tournament final defeat to NC State. The Tar Heels won their opening-round March Madness matchup with Wagner by 28 points before easing past Michigan State with a 16-point second-round victory to reach Sweet 16 as they attempt to reach the Elite Eight for the fourth time in the past nine seasons on Thursday night.
The Crimson Tide have likewise enjoyed a impressive start to the tourney. They dumped out Charleston 109-96 in the first round, then saw off the challenge of mid-major Grand Canyon 72-61 in the second round.
Below, GOAL brings you all the details ahead of today's North Carolina vs. Alabama NCAA March Madness Sweet 16 Game.
North Carolina vs. Alabama tip-off time & stadium
The Tar Heels will face off against the Crimson Tide this Thursday, March 28, 2024, at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California. The tip-off of this high-voltage NCAA Sweet 16 match is set at 9:39 p.m. ET/ 6:39 p.m. PT.
| Date | Thursday, March 28, 2024 |
| Tip-off Time | 9:39 p.m. ET/ 8:39 p.m. CT/ 6:39 p.m. PT |
| Venue | Crypto.com Arena |
| Location | Los Angeles, California |
How to watch the North Carolina Tar Heels vs. Alabama Crimson Tide NCAA March Madness match online - TV channels & live streams
Fans looking to catch today's NCAA March Madness Sweet 16 game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and Alabama Crimson Tide can watch the game live on CBS. To stream the game, Paramount+ is the best streaming service for comprehensive NCAA content.
Paramount+ has two plans, but you must subscribe to the higher of the two (Paramount+ with Showtime) to stream live March Madness games on CBS.
Paramount+ with Showtime costs $11.99/month and lets you watch your local CBS network live. The streaming service offers a seven-day free trial for all new users, so you can sign up before the main part of the tournament tips off Thursday, watch the Sweet 16 and Elite Eight games, and then cancel before the free trial week ends without paying a penny. For students, Paramount+ will give you a 25% discount.
North Carolina vs. Alabama Team News and Key Players
North Carolina Tar Heels Team News
The Tar Heels were made to sweat early in the second half of their victory over the No. 9-seeded Michigan State Spartans, but they eventually fended off the opposition rally before pulling away comfortably in the second half.
Armando Bacot finished with 18 points and seven rebounds, while Harrison Ingram notched 17 points and seven boards. RJ Davis scored a team-high 20 points.
Guard Davis has now scored 20 or more points in four straight games, his longest streak since reeling off eight in a row earlier this season. Fellow veteran Bacot is averaging 17.8 points and 11 rebounds across the last five games. The Tar Heels' top duo will hold the key to set the tone here.
Alabama Crimson Tide Team News
Alabama have one of the more underrated squads left in the tournament. They rank first in the country in scoring (90.7 PPG). They have cracked 90+ a whopping 12 times since Christmas.
If Crimson plan to play a more free-flowing game this Thursday, star guard Mark Sears needs to be the star of the show, having averaged 24.1 points and 4.1 rebounds while shooting 49.3 per cent over the past 10 games. Aaron Estrada, another key cog, averaging 13.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.7 steals for the Crimson Tide.
Head-to-Head Records
The Heels are 8-5 in the all-time series against the Tide, including 2-1 in the NCAA tourney. However, Alabama come out on top in the last meeting between the two, securing a 103-101 quadruple-overtime victory last season.