Start time, TV channel announced for Alabama vs. Duke NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game

The Alabama Crimson Tide are back in the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, where they'll meet the nation's No. 1 ranked team in the Duke Blue Devils.

Early Friday morning, the NCAA and its broadcast partners at CBS and TNT Sports announced start times and TV information for the East Region and West Region finals of the 2025 NCAA Tournament, including the Elite Eight showdown between the Crimson Tide and Blue Devils.

Alabama vs. Duke will tip at 7:49 p.m. CT Saturday night from Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The game will be televised on both TBS and truTV, with the winner advancing to the Final Four in San Antonio. Brian Anderson and Jim Jackson will have the TV call of Alabama-Duke, with Allie LaForce reporting from the sidelines.

How Alabama got to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row

Alabama (28-8 overall), the No. 2 seed in the East Region, was lights-out from beyond the arc in a historic 113-88 blowout win over the BYU Cougars in the Sweet 16 Thursday night in Newark.

The Crimson Tide sank an NCAA Tournament record 25 3-pointers against the No. 6 seed Cougars. That was also the most 3-pointers for a single game in Alabama basketball history, surpassing the 23 the Tide made against the LSU Tigers in a 105-75 drubbing back on Jan. 19, 2021 in Baton Rouge.

Mark Sears led the way Thursday with 34 points on 11-of-18 shots from the field, going 10-of-16 from the 3-point line. Aden Holloway (7-of-14) was lights-out as well, with all but one of his shots coming from beyond the arc to finish the night with 23 points.

Chris Youngblood (6-of-12, 5-of-11) added 19 points, and Clifford Omoruyi had 10 points for the third straight game in March Madness. Grant Nelson (six points) had 10 rebounds to lead the Tide on the glass. Alabama held BYU to 6-of-30 from 3-point range, including just 1-of-13 in the first half.

With the win, Alabama advanced to the Elite Eight for the second year in a row under coach Nate Oats. It's the first time in program history the Crimson Tide have made Elite Eight appearances in back-to-back years. A season ago, Alabama defeated the Clemson Tigers, 89-82, to reach to the program's first Final Four.

How Duke basketball got back to the Elite Eight

To get back to the Final Four, Alabama will have to take down the bluest of all college basketball blue bloods -- a team many consider the best in the whole tournament. Duke (34-3), the No. 1 seed in the East Region, defeated the No. 4 seed Arizona Wildcats 100-93 Thursday night in Newark.

Cooper Flagg, who recently won the 2024-25 Oscar Robertson Trophy as the National Player of the Year and is a finalist for the Naismith Trophy, had 30 points, six rebounds and seven assists against Arizona. Kon Knueppel added 20 points for Jon Scheyer's Blue Devils, who haven't lost since a 77-71 upset at Clemson back on Feb. 8.

Duke enters Saturday's contest having won 14 straight games. The Blue Devils made the Elite Eight a season ago and fell to NC State, 76-64, in Dallas.

Alabama series history vs. Duke basketball

According to university records, Alabama and Duke have met only five times since the 1967 season. The most recent matchup was on Nov. 27, 2013, when Mike Krzyzewski's team defeated Anthony Grant's Crimson Tide squad, 74-64, at Madison Square Garden. Duke leads the series vs. Alabama, 5-0, since 1967.

Saturday will mark the first time Alabama and Duke have ever met in the NCAA Tournament.

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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: Alabama basketball vs Duke game time, TV channel announced