The SEC hasn’t had the easiest time in March Madness and Alabama was looking to change that perception on Sunday. The only SEC teams still left in the tournament were Tennessee and Texas A&M.

Alabama attempted to join the Volunteers in the Sweet 16 with a win over surging Grand Canyon. Grand Canyon was fresh off an upset of 5-seed St. Mary’s.

The Crimson Tide kept dancing after a hard-fought 72-61 win in Spokane. Here are some takeaways from Alabama’s win:

Latrell Wrightsell injury could loom large

Latrell Wrightsell has been a reliable option from range this season. Unfortunately, he left Sunday’s game with a head injury in the 1st half and was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

Wrightsell came into the 2nd round hitting 44.9% from 3-point range and 45.1% from the floor this season. For a team that’s 2nd in the SEC in terms of 3-point shooting (37%), losing Wrightsell could have an impact on the Tide’s March Madness run.

The good news is Alabama will not be in action again until Thursday, so there’s a chance Wrightsell could make it back for the Sweet 16. If he doesn’t, someone will need to pick up the slack.

No luck beyond the arc

Alabama didn’t look like itself on Sunday against Grand Canyon. Both teams were miserable shooting the ball, especially Alabama from 3-point range.

This is concerning considering the Crimson Tide’s calling card with Nate Oats has been the ability to stretch the floor with 3-point shooting. Alabama couldn’t get much of anything to land from that distance as the team shot 26% (8-for-31).

Luckily for Alabama, Grand Canyon also had a hard time hitting its shots. North Carolina is unlikely to struggle in the fashion Grand Canyon did, so the Tide will need to fix their efficiency moving forward. Be sure to track the odds for that matchup with SDS’s host of resources for online sports bettors.

Alabama defense continues to be an enigma

It’s been an inconsistent showing so far defensively in the tournament for Nate Oats’ squad. In the 1st round matchup with College of Charleston, the Cougars put up 96 points and shot 41% from the floor.

The season as a whole has been no different for the Alabama defense. The team led the SEC with the most points allowed per game at 81.5.

However, the defense against Grand Canyon was a much different story. The Lopes were just 32% from the floor and finished 10% on 3-point attempts (2-for-20). Grand Canyon averages 46.4% from the floor per game.

When it comes to “survive and advance,” it’s all about winning with whatever the game calls for, and this time, the Tide relied on a rare defensive performance. It wasn’t pretty, but that won’t matter to Alabama fans after the win.

Now, Alabama will rest and regroup before facing 1-seed North Carolina in the Sweet 16 of the West Region. Be sure to check ESPN Bet for the latest lines with the Tide now just 2 wins away from their first-ever Final Four.