I watched the Alabama game last night, and a couple of things struck me.
1) SC's defense is superb. No one on Ala was capable of getting past a one-on-one defender for the entire first quarter. Ala's points required either a perimeter shot or some serious screening. By serious, I mean on the verge of getting whistled for moving. SC is just too big and quick.
2) even with that amazing defensive effort, the team looked... what's the right word?... uninspired, especially on offense. It seemed like they were mailing it in at some moments. That changed in the second half, when Ala didn't simply fold. Their engagement level went way up then.
I think they are hungry for a challenge like the one they got from Stanford. This bodes really well for the later rounds of the tournament, when they'll finally get to play some real competition. Of course, the games against LSU and Tennessee should also help a bit. They need to be tested to keep their minds in it.