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The Iron Bowl of Basketball is upon us once again, and there may be no previous installment of this game with the feel of anticipation and importance as this one.
Alabama (11-4, 2-1) returns home for the first time since Dec. 29 to take on their in-state rivals, the Auburn Tigers (14-1, 3-0). Fans of these schools have come to dub this game the Iron Bowl of Basketball, and Alabama will be playing its second highest-ranked team of the season on Tuesday night (Auburn is No. 4 in the latest AP Poll).
The Crimson Tide lost their last outing in Columbia to the Missouri Tigers and moved to 2-1 in SEC play. They find themselves sliding down the AP Poll to the No. 24 spot, falling from the No. 15 slot.
Alabama needs to clean up their field goal shooting in this one tonight against Auburn and in the future, in their losses they have had issues finding their stroke on three-point shots and on the floor in general.
Jaden Shackelford needs to come out of his slump and find his shot at a critical juncture in the season, getting in the thick of tough SEC conference play.
The inside defense has been an issue as of late for the Tide and it needs to turn around if Alabama wants to have any success against talented bigs for Auburn. Bediako and Gurley have been in foul trouble too often in critical situations in-game. Cleaning these issues up will go a long way in making the Tide a force to be reckoned with in the SEC.
Bruce Pearl has his Tigers ranked at No. 4 in the AP Top 25 Poll. The only loss Auburn has suffered this season came at the hands of UConn in a 115-109 loss.
The Crimson Tide will no doubt look to prove that they belong in the conversation in terms of college basketball’s top teams. Head coach Nate Oats has the tools and smarts to accomplish a win tonight, and it’s necessary for the culture in Tuscaloosa to defeat your rival and notch another win against a top-five squad (first against Gonzaga in December).
A win not only equals another quadrant one victory, but it also moves the Crimson Tide to 3-1 in conference play with a leg up on the Tigers in terms of conference standings. With the teams set to meet again on the first of February, Alabama hopes to issue a sweep to the Tigers for the second straight season.
Beyond that, if the Tide hopes to sway any naysayers they may have collected after the Missouri loss, a win here at home against a very good Auburn team would benefit that narrative tremendously.
Lastly, who doesn’t appreciate a big win over one of your biggest rivals? To do it thrice in a row, especially against a team of Auburn’s caliber, says a lot about the mindset of the team.
While the ride on the various polls has been a rollercoaster this year, from as high as No. 6 to now as low as No. 24, the Tide have been in this position before. Last year after suffering some questionable losses against lesser competition (remember folks, anything can happen in hoops) the Tide notably won the SEC title in both the regular season and the tournament en route to a Sweet 16 berth.
I have utmost faith in this Alabama coaching staff to produce the results we as Crimson Tide hoops fans have come to expect.
Alabama takes on the No. 4 Auburn Tigers on Tuesday night at 8:00 p.m. CST.
Stay tuned to Roll Tide Wire for all the latest on the Crimson Tide!
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