Alabama came into the BYU game with 6-of-21 and 7-of-17 shooting from distance in a pair of NCAA tourney wins. As the No. 1 2-point shooting team, Young’s staff emphasized stopping that aspect of Alabama’s attack and analytically believed a struggling Mark Sears and Company would cool off. They never did, and Sears made 10 treys.

First-year head coach Kevin Young, who replaced Mark Pope after the latter's departure to Kentucky, expounded on the game and reflected on the Cougars' season along with two of his players. Transcripts are courtesy of ASAP Sports.

So egregious was their resistance in that regard, it helped the Crimson Tide, as Young alluded to, set an NCAA Tournament single-game record for made deep balls (25 of 51). Some of that was straight due to great shot-making. But the Cougars’ lapses gave ‘Bama shooters full license to feel like they were channeling Steph Freaking Curry.