Alabama Basketball and the Bruce Pearls’ Auburn Tigers have been on different paths of late. Nate Oats and the Alabama Crimson Tide are rolling, while Auburn has stumbled. Nate Oats is now considered one of college basketball’s smartest coaches. Bruce Pearl is ready to fight fans.
It would be a mistake to presume Alabama will blow out the Tigers on Saturday. Pearl, despite his flaws, will have the Tigers well-prepared. As all of Pearl’s teams do, Auburn will play hard. For the Tigers to upset the Crimson Tide, the game must be a battle of mental and physical wills.
The officiating could be pivotal. Most basketball fans prefer a ‘let them play’ style of officiating. If that approach is used in Auburn, the Tigers will make many, un-called fouls. A young-ish Alabama basketball team cannot allow itself to become frustrated with how the game is called.
The Crimson Tide is the more skilled team. But the Tigers overcome their shooting weaknesses with an aggressive defense that is one of the nation’s best, holding opponents to 38.9% shooting. The Tigers are good at creating turnovers and are one of the nation’s top shot-blocking teams.
Emotionally, Auburn will have an advantage. Earlier in the week, Nate Oats talked about the game being Auburn’s Super Bowl. It will be the most hostile environment Alabama will play in this season, with the Auburn crowd worth a good 3-5 points for the home team.
Alabama Basketball and IBOBs
Does the game deserve to be called the ‘Iron Bowl of Basketball’ (IBOB)? Opinions of fans differ. Some Alabama Crimson Tide fans argue there has not been an Iron Bowl since Auburn ended the tradition of the annual football game at Birmingham’s Legion Field.
Whatever it is called, the recent history of the Tide vs. Tigers games in Auburn favors the Aubies. Alabama fans joke that a few days ago in Knoxville, Auburn only scored 43 points in a loss. Alabama was even worse in a 2013 loss in Auburn, scoring only 37 points.
Auburn beat the Crimson Tide twice last season, 81-77 in Tuscaloosa and 100-81 in Auburn. The Crimson Tide has won in Auburn just once going back to the 2016 season.
What will happen?
The (far) better team should win and the Crimson Tide could win easily. A better guess is the game will be a slugfest, in which Alabama prevails in a close contest.
Note: Auburn stats are provided by Sports Reference.
Whatever the outcome, hopefully, Bruce Pearl will not challenge Nate Oats to fight. Nate would be going up in weight class, but the Pearlster would be in trouble.