Game of the Night Preview: #16 Alabama Crimson Tide at #12 Auburn Tigers
Tonight, at Neville Arena in Auburn, Alabama will consist of an Iron Bowl rivalry, this time on the hardwood. Auburn (18-4, 7-2 SEC) will host inner-state rival Alabama (16-6, 8-1 SEC) in what will most likely be an offensive-minded, fast-paced ball game. In their first matchup both being in the Top 20 since January of 1987, this is brewing to be an early game-of-the-week candidate. The story coming into tonight will have to be how the visiting Tide are rolling in winners of their last four, including ten of their last eleven. That only blemish during that time came from a blowout road loss at Tennessee, 91-71. On the other side of the tape, Auburn heads into this one tonight being a perfect 11-0 on their home floor. With Alabama being just above .500 on the road at 3-2, this one will turn to who can make those difficult shots in the right moments.
Alabama coach Nate Oats will try to articulate his high-flying offense in this matchup to get comfortable while being in a hostile environment. The leading scorer for this high-powered offensive attack will come from Point Guard, Mark Sears, who averages 20 points, to go along with four assists. Aaron Estrada will be Sears’ “partner in crime tonight”, who helps out with 13 points and five rebounds per game, as they try to silently steal one in “The Jungle.” As Alabama leads the nation in scoring at 89.9 PPG, while shooting fourth in America from beyond the arch, this speedy Oats’ team will heavily rely on the three ball to drop early.
Being a home team in this Iron Bowl has been a key factor in previous matchups, and tonight it is Auburn’s game to lose. In their most recent game against Ole Miss, Auburn showed the technicality on the defensive side of the ball, in what was a huge road win. As they slowed down the Rebels in that second half, Auburn easily got in a groove moving forward en route to a 91-77 win. Bruce Pearl and company will try to replicate a blueprint copy of their past performance. While withstanding outside jumpers, they caught themselves in the game because of their superior paint presence with star Johni Broome. The superstar junior, who averages 16 points and nine rebounds, sparks this team when it's needed the most. While having upper-classmen experience, as well as a 22-23’ SEC 2nd Team honors to go with it, Broome is the catalyst for Pearl’s team. Broome and Jaylin Williams go hand-in-hand for the Tigers as they look to continue sharpening their resume come tournament time.
In what is the first time that the two schools meet in Auburn with a number next to their name, the intensity will be brought from both sides right from the tip. In the team’s previous matchup in Tuscaloosa, Alabama was led by Mark Sears with 22 points, five rebounds, and eight assists in a nail-biting, 79-75 affair. This was an unranked win for Alabama at the time while knocking Auburn off from their well-respected number eight ranking. “Billboard Material” as they say for the home Tigers tonight, as they look to take control of first place in the SEC.
