Physical. That’s the common word in Alabama’s locker room on Saturday when discussing Grand Canyon.

“They’re physical. They’re a hard-playing team. They stay on the glass, they hustle. It’s on us to out-play them,” Mouhamed Dioubate said.

“They’re physical, they crash the boards. They got some really good players that like to get downhill,” added Grant Nelson.

Chimed in Aaron Estrada: “They’re a good team. They’re very physical. They like to turn you over.”

Styles make fights and Alabama’s familiarity, and struggles, with physical teams create an interesting dynamic for Sunday in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32. The four-seed Tide gets to continue its postseason run with a chance to answer questions about whether it can thrive in a road-like environment and if it can handle a team that rebounds and plays tough defense.

A trip to Los Angeles and the West Regional will be on the line in Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena. No. 4 Alabama (22-11) has the ninth-best effective field-goal percentage nationally (56.7% per KenPom). The 12-seeded Lopes rank ninth in effective field-goal percentage defense. A veteran group has won six in a row under head coach Bryce Drew, formerly at Vanderbilt, including a Western Athletic Conference title.

“They’re in a mid-major conference but they’re pretty much like a high-major team,” UA’s Rylan Griffen said. “They’ve got a bunch of high-major players who have played at the high-major level and played at a bunch of other schools and different systems.”

One Alabama player likened GCU’s scheme to Mississippi State’s with length across the floor. The Lopes are led by 6-foot-7 senior Tyon Grant-Foster, who averages 19.9 points per game and leads Grand Canyon in 3-point attempts (144), free throws made (201) and blocks (47).

Estrada said UA “should be fine” if it can force someone other than Grant-Foster to beat them.

GCU has two other players who average double-digit points, guard Ray Harrison (13.8) and forward Gabe McGlothan (12.9). The latter had a double-double against St. Mary’s. Alabama also struggled to prevent offensive rebounds in its first-round game and Grand Canyon ranks 32nd nationally in offensive rebound percentage.

“They’re one of the best rim-protecting teams in the country,” Oats said. “They turn people over a lot. They play hard. They like to get up and down. Hopefully, they still like to get up and down. Our guys obviously like to play a little up and down, as evidenced by the 109 points, whatever we had, last game out. I don’t know if this will be first to 100 or not, but it should be for an entertaining game because they’ve got athletes.”

Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at [email protected].