When Alabama basketball’s matchup with UConn rolls around Saturday in the Final Four, the Crimson Tide will have spent a significant amount more time in Arizona than its opponent. UA flew in Tuesday.
The Huskies tried to fly out Wednesday. Airplane issues made that more complicated. First, the plane UConn had scheduled was coming from Kansas City, but had a flight crew that would have maxed out its allowable hours due to mechanical issues, necessitating a switch to a smaller plane.
Eventually, the Huskies got to town, after 3 a.m. PT, which would have been 6 a.m. in Connecticut. On Thursday, Alabama head coach Nate Oats joked about his opponent’s problems.
“Not quite sure what happened to the plane,” Oats said. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t send anybody over there to mess with the mechanics. I’m sure (UConn coach Dan Hurley has) conjured that up in his head already.”
Hurley said during his press conference that he got two hours of sleep on the plane and two more at the hotel on Thursday. He joked that “That’s why God made caffeine.”
In contrast, Oats, who counts Hurley as a friend, said he got seven or eight hours in a hotel bed.
“I did get a good night’s sleep last night, so that’s nice,” Oats said. “I’m sure he’ll be fired up and ready to go Saturday. It will be fun. We’ll touch base after the game.”
Oats also said he didn’t envy one person on the UConn support staff.
“I am glad I’m not the ops person for the University of Connecticut basketball team during this trip,” Oats said. “That’s for sure.”
Alabama and UConn are scheduled to face off at 7:49 p.m. CT on Saturday. The game will be aired on TBS.
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