This past Saturday, a battle for college basketball supremacy went down in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Auburn, who came in as the top team in the nation, visited the Alabama Crimson Tide, who sat at number two in the AP rankings. This matchup marked only the sixth time in college basketball history that an in-state game between the top two teams has taken place. The Tigers walked away victorious in basketball’s version of the Iron Bowl, but there is much more to dig into from this game between two of the favorites to cut down the nets in March.
The Top Two Teams Fight for College Basketball Supremacy
Top Dog
After Auburn fell to Florida the previous weekend, but remained at the top of the AP poll, fans began questioning if the Tigers really were the best team in the country. Auburn silenced any doubts after their 94-85 wire-to-wire victory. While Alabama fought back in the second half, the Tigers looked comfortable and in control, even in a rowdy road environment.
Auburn’s schedule thus far has been quite the juggernaut, but fans seemed to home in on their losses to #9 Duke and #6 Florida, instead of their wins over Houston, Iowa State, North Carolina, Memphis, Ohio State, Purdue, Missouri, Texas, Mississippi State, Georgia, Tennessee, Ole Miss, and Vanderbilt. Yes, that is the extensive list of Auburn’s quality wins. Head coach Bruce Pearl’s squad has proved all season long that they are the best team in the country, and they showed us again with the win this past weekend.
Three-Point Reliance
Despite the loss, Alabama remains one of the betting favorites to lift a national championship. A significant reason for that expectation is their explosive offense. They came into the game as the highest scoring offense in the country, thanks to their frenetic pace and three-point barrages. This style of play tends to result in the Crimson Tide living or dying with the three-point shot, and, unfortunately for them, they shot an embarrassing 5/26 from three against Auburn.
The fact that they kept the game close in the second half despite this poor shooting performance says a lot about how good this Alabama team is. The question for Nate Oats’ squad is can they figure out ways to scrape together wins against the best teams even on nights when their outside shots are not falling.
Elite Depth
Even after losing a couple of transfers to season-ending injuries and dealing with minor injuries to players throughout the season, Alabama still played nine guys against Auburn. Their embarrassment of riches in terms of talent left five-star freshman Derrion Reid playing only four minutes in the game. Auburn showcased their depth too, as they rotated through 10 players, although one played one minute and another played only two minutes.
The impressive roster depth of both teams will serve them well in March. Both teams rely on their respective All-American, but the wellspring of talent remains crucial in diverting some of the attention away from Mark Sears and Johni Broome, as well as lessening their burden if they have a poor shooting night or find themselves in foul trouble.
Free Throw Excellence
In close games, hitting free throws down the stretch can crush an opponent’s chance at coming back. On top of all their other strengths, both teams are clutch at the charity stripe. For Alabama, their guards shoot 84 percent, 83 percent, 77 percent, and 74 percent respectively. Auburn is even better, with their perimeter players shooting 90 percent, 90 percent, 88 percent, 83 percent, and 83 percent. This excellence was on display on Saturday, as these five players shot a combined 17/19 from the line and helped put Alabama’s late-game hopes to rest. Even though free throw shooting is not the most critical marker of a great team, it sure helps in late-season close games.
Rematch
The first matchup between these two college basketball giants certainly lived up to the hype. Fortunately for fans, they meet again on March 8th for the final game of SEC regular season play, and I would be surprised if that game is not equally as competitive. And, if we are lucky, these two teams will be on a collision course for a duel in the SEC tournament or March Madness.
Main Image: Will McLelland-Imagn Images
