While Alabama basketball reviewed Charleston, its next opponent, Nick Pringle got up and interrupted the film session with a message.

“This is how we need to look,” Pringle recalled to AL.com during Thursday’s NCAA Tournament media availability in Spokane, Washington.

Pringle echoed a sentiment that head coach Nate Oats picked up as he broke down Charleston after the bracket was revealed on Sunday. Four-seeded Alabama (21-11, 13-5 Southeastern Conference) was “similar” to No. 13 Charleston (27-7, 15-3 CAA), setting the stage for a high-scoring matchup in Veterans Memorial Arena on Friday night. Both feature free-flowing offenses and inconsistent defenses.

The Cougars are back in March Madness for the second straight year after winning its conference tournament title in back-to-back seasons. Charleston is tied with Alabama for the third-most 3-pointers per game nationally (30.3) and ranks 57th in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency metric. Its leading scorers, Reyne Smith and Ante Brzovic, are averaging more than 12 points per game and have powered Charleston to a 12-game winning streak.

“I kind of know their system. I know how they like to play,” Tide guard Aaron Estrada, who played them when he attended Hofstra, said. “… So for my preparation, I’m already knowing what to expect and how they play. I try to tell the guys that too, as well.”

Added Rylan Griffen: “They play fast. They shoot a lot of 3s. They all got people that can pretty much pass, dribble and shoot so they’re a tough team. They’re in the tournament for a reason.”

Alabama has the fifth-best offense in the country, per KenPom. Shooters have struggled from 3-point range as of late. UA has reached double-digit 3s just once in its last seven games, which have coincided with four losses.

Part of the slump was tied to a pair of starting guards, Griffen and Latrell Wrightsell Jr., out with injury. But with both on no-minutes restrictions after a week between games, Alabama is hoping it can handle a shootout if it comes to that.

Alabama ranks 139th in bench minutes compared to Charleston’s 25th-highest mark. The Cougars are 11th in bench points with an average of 30 points scored a game from non-starters. Ten Charleston players record at least double-digit minutes and seven of those have taken at least 70 shots.

Pringle said a key is to use its length on the defensive end to disrupt shooters and get into their bodies on the perimeter. While UA has often faltered against high-scoring teams, it has the advantage in tomorrow’s matchup since it faces a similar scheme in practice.

“This isn’t, like, new to them. They’re used to being in the tournament with all the surrounding stuff that goes with it. They’re not going to be intimidated by us,” Oats said.

Both UA and Charleston were eliminated by eventual Final Four team San Diego State last year. It makes sense that the Aztecs’ grinding pace frustrated the Tide and Cougars. This year, the selection committee placed two teams with similar game plans against each other.

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