Alabama’s historic NCAA Tournament run ended with an 86-72 defeat to No. 1 UConn in the program’s first Final Four game ever.

The Crimson Tide put up a strong fight against the Huskies, regarded as one of the top college basketball teams in recent years. Alabama held the lead longer than any other team facing UConn in the tournament and trailed by just four points at the break.

This tournament run was a significant stepping stone for the Crimson Tide and head coach Nate Oats. While the program has established itself as a perennial contender in the SEC and a consistent NCAA Tournament team, it had yet to advance beyond the Sweet 16 under Oats' leadership before this postseason.

Doubters questioned whether Alabama could rebound after losing three assistant coaches in the offseason. Doubters questioned whether Alabama could make up for the losses of two NBA draft picks. Doubters even questioned whether Oats’ up-tempo, rim-and-three system was suited for success deep into March. They were all proven wrong.

Let’s relive Alabama’s Top 10 memories from its Final Four run:

A personal favorite for basketball purists, Aaron Estrada’s old-school, craft-based finishing style is a joy to watch. Not often do you see a 6-foot-3 guard with a hook shot in their bag in 2024.

When the momentum seemed to be slipping away to North Carolina's side in the Sweet 16, Rylan Griffen swiftly nailed a pivotal 3-pointer, tilting the tide back in Alabama’s favor. In five games, the sophomore wing maintained an impressive average of 12.4 points on an efficient 48.1% from beyond the arc. Notably, he shined against North Carolina, delivering 19 points on 50% shooting from the field.

Nick Pringle's foul tendencies were a main topic of conversion throughout the regular season. He stayed on the floor and out of foul trouble throughout the NCAA Tournament, contributing greatly to Alabama’s late-season defensive renaissance.

A walking highlight reel, Alabama fans were blessed with three electrifying dunks from Grant Nelson in the tournament. Among them, his dunk over the towering 7-foot-2 UConn center Donovan Clingan stands out as a top contender for any dunk contest judge's pick.

Freshman Mo Dioubate played crucial second-half minutes in Alabama’s second-round escape over Grand Canyon. The 6-foot-7 forward scored nine points, five offensive rebounds, and two blocks on 3 of 6 shooting in 13 minutes of action.

Even Oats acknowledged that the Crimson Tide’s victory wouldn't have been possible without Dioubate's contributions.

Alabama doesn’t advance to the Final Four without true freshman Jarin Stevenson. The Crimson Tide initially faltered from long range against Clemson. However, Stevenson's sharpshooting ignited a momentum shift, and Alabama never looked back. Over the final 24 minutes, Alabama shot an impressive 63.6% (14 of 22) from beyond the arc, with Stevenson sinking four crucial 3s.

Mark Sears’ impact was more than a single play, highlight, or sequence. He’s the engine of Alabama’s explosive offense, scoring 20 or more points in four of five tournament games — the lone outlier being an 18-point outing against North Carolina.

As seen here, Sears created a rim attempt for himself out of isolation. He also sunk pull-up 3s, spot-up 3s, floaters, reverse finishes, and exploited closeouts with aggressive attacks to finish at the rim. Sears scored in almost every way possible.

Nelson scored 12 of the team's last 14 points in the final five minutes to advance to the Elite Eight, including this filthy crossover into a reverse finish over North Carolina's Armando Bacot to give Alabama the lead.

The moment that led up to the moment. With Alabama leading by four points with less than 90 seconds remaining, Sears knocked down a 3-pointer to seal the victory and advance to the Final Four. The 6-foot-1 guard scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half en route to the win.

A moment Alabama fans will remember forever.