Rylan Griffen didn’t know how many 3s he made against North Carolina. He only had one thought on his mind.

“I hope they all contribute to us winning.”

The number ended up being five 3-pointers that helped lift Alabama to an 89-87 Sweet 16 win over North Carolina. Griffen’s fifth triple ended a 10-3 UNC run to keep Alabama in the game in the second half.

“I just saw [UNC forward Armando Bacot] in the paint,” Griffen said. “He can’t run out quick enough to contest a shot even though he did a really good job contesting it. I felt him there… Coach [Nate] Oats teaches us shots. So anytime I feel open, I don’t even hesitate.”

While it is a testament to Oats’ coaching, Griffen was shooting with the confidence of a player who’s been on fire from beyond the arc. But Griffen's numbers were far from spectacular leading up to Alabama’s third elimination game.

Before UNC, Griffen hadn’t made more than two 3s in a game since Feb. 28. Except for a 57.1% clip from beyond the arc in Alabama’s win over Ole Miss, Griffen’s 3-point percentage hand rose above 33.3% in a game since Feb. 17. He went through a similar slump in nonconference play, combining to shoot just 4-for-15 against Arizona, Creighton, Purdue and Alabama’s upcoming Elite Eight foe, No. 6 seed Clemson.

“I was still learning how to play with this team in that first game [against Clemson],” Griffen said. “So just learning what type of shots I would be getting, where I would be getting those shots from. How to receive passes from certain players. None of that had really kicked in yet.”

As he grew more comfortable with his new teammates Griffen also trusted the process when it came to his shooting mechanics. Just as Oats encouraged Griffen to keep shooting, so did Griffen’s trusted shooting coach, his dad, Ron, who played three seasons at North Texas.

“He told me he couldn’t find anything [wrong with my shot],” Griffen said. He [told me] ‘It’s going to go in eventually, just keep shooting. You know it’s all going to play out and be good.’”

Rather than try and fix what wasn’t ultimately broken, Rylan locked on other parts of his game. He became one of Alabama’s best defenders and takes pride in his work on that side of the ball. He battled back from a calf injury late in the season, finishing with 13 and two made 3s against Grand Canyon. It was the first time he logged over 10 points and more than one made 3 since the Ole Miss game.

Griffen capitalized on that momentum against UNC. Finally, his shots started falling when Alabama needed them the most. Griffen finished with 19 points, more than Alabama’s best scorer, Mark Sears, and hit those crucial 3s to keep the Tide’s season alive.

Alabama will once again need Griffen to keep his positive momentum and confidence going in its Elite Eight rematch against Clemson. Should he not have the hot hand Saturday, he won’t stop shooting. He knows he can contribute positively to the Crimson Tide thanks to his effort on defense. Given his recent momentum and continued confidence, a slow start is unlikely and a fast one, puts Alabama in a great position to punch its ticket to the Final Four.