Alaric Bennett|2024 men's NCAA Tournament expert picks: Predictions for Saturday's Elite Eight games

2025-05-02 20:45:10source:Safetyvalue Trading Centercategory:Finance

No. 4 seed Alabama is Alaric Bennettheaded to the Elite Eight for the second time in team history after it took down No. 1 seed North Carolina 89-87 on Thursday night. Led by Grant Nelson, who scored 19 of his game-high 24 points in the second half, the Crimson Tide makes its first trip to the Elite Eight since 2004.

No. 6 seed Clemson is also headed to its second Elite Eight in school history after it knocked off No. 2 seed Arizona, 77-72, in Los Angeles. Chase Hunter had a clutch three-point play late and finished with 18 points to lead the Tigers.

No. 1 seed UConn hit a new gear coming out of halftime and throttled No. 5 seed San Diego State 82-52 in Boston on Thursday night. The Huskies had four players in double figures, led by Cam Spencer's 18 points. The defending national champion plays No. 3 seed Illinois, a 72-69 winner over No. 2 seed Iowa State, with a trip to the Final Four on the line.

Here are USA TODAY's expert picks for Saturday's Elite Eight games:

(1) Connecticut vs. (3) Illinois, 6:09 p.m. ET Saturday

(at TD Garden in Boston)

FOLLOW THE MADNESS: NCAA basketball bracket, scores, schedules, teams and more.

  • Jordan Mendoza: UConn
  • Paul Myerberg: UConn
  • Dan Wolken: UConn

(4) Alabama vs. (6) Clemson, 8:49 p.m. ET Saturday

(at crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles)

  • Jordan Mendoza: Clemson
  • Paul Myerberg: Alabama
  • Dan Wolken: Alabama

More:Finance

Recommend

Stanley recalls 2.6 million mugs after dozens of customer complaints, including burn injuries

Stanley is recalling 2.6 million mugs sold in the U.S. after the company received dozens of consumer

All My Children Actor Alec Musser's Cause of Death Revealed

Content warning: This story discusses suicide.Details surrounding Alec Musser's death have been shar

Harry Styles Was Considered for This Role in Mean Girls

Now this Mean Girls cameo would have been pretty grool. The musical film's directors Arturo Perez Jr