The rivalry of Auburn-Alabama has organized many classics in the football field. In the Iron Bowl of 1984, the former star of Auburn Bo Jackson ran the wrong way in a block to seal a victory for Alabama. A late touchdown in 2009 helped Alabama win a rivalry game and remain undefeated in what would be a national championship season. And 2013 produced the infamous “Kick Six”, when Chris Davis of Auburn returned a failed field goal attempt for a touchdown in recent seconds.
On Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, No. 1 Auburn and No. 2 Alabama created their own memorable matter in hard wood in an exciting game with SEC. and Selection Sunday implications. Despite never having the leadership, and behind two digits for a part of it, Alabama made a late race to tie the score in 65-65 with about eight minutes to play.
And then, Johni Broome, the candidate of the national player of the year, aggravated an ankle injury that cost him multiple games earlier this season. However, Auburn continued to fight and ensure the 94-85 victory over his rival in the state.
The first confrontation of AP No. 1 vs No. 2 in the history of the SEC offered the theater that many had anticipated when the most balanced team in the United States faced one of the best offensive squadrons in the country. It was a unique moment for two programs that have crashed the Blue Blood Party in university basketball and evolved towards the contestants by the evergreen national title.
The winner, Auburn, consolidated his advantage in the race for the title of the SEC and the search for the superior general seed. The loser, Alabama, must regroup and prepare for revenge in Auburn in three weeks.
Myron Medcalf of ESPN, Jeff Borzello and Joe Lunardi break down everything that happened and the lasting effects.
What told us this game about both teams?
Borzello: The gap between Auburn and everyone else for the 1 general seed is only growing. The tigers entered with five more victories of quadrant 1 than anyone in the country and with the number 1 classification in five of the seven metrics used by the Selection Committee. Now, they have victories about Alabama, Tennessee, Houston, Purdue and Iowa State, with their only two losses to the teams that were 1 seed in the simulated group revealing on Saturday afternoon, Duke and Florida. On Saturday he also showed a side of Auburn that we had not seen in a road game of the SEC this season, and suffocated any questions we had about the ability of the tigers to dominate an elite opponent in a real road environment in the Conference game.
Medcalf: This game demonstrated the importance of Mark Sears to the hopes of the National Title of Alabama. Yes, he scored 18 points. But it was 4 of 17 and 2 of 11 from the 3 -point line. His first fault problems also affected Alabama's rhythm.
The national title will probably be decided by teams with proven stars on their lists: Cooper Flagg for Duke; Broome for Auburn. Walter Clayton Jr., Braden Smith, Zakai Zeigler, Wade Taylor IV and more are also playing their best weeks of basketball since Sunday team. Sears will have to match those performances to help his team arrive in San Antonio.
How did Auburn win this?
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Auburn jumps to the 9-0 advantage against Alabama
Auburn demolishes an early triple trio to take a 9-0 advantage over Alabama.
Medcalf: Auburn won because Johni Broome could be the best player in the country. A couple of triple from the wooden award candidate in the first section helped the Tigers take an early 9-0 advantage and sent the message that they were there to make a statement. The initial execution was also key because it limited the impact of a crowd sold in Tuscaloosa.
Broome's physical style and aggressive defense were fundamental: it ended with 19 points, 14 rebounds, six assists and two blockages. Even after aggravating his ankle injury, he made a key block and a late bucket to help his team seal the treatment. Alabama could not neutralize it.
Borzello: Broome was incredible, which is not a surprise, but Tahaad Pettiford changed the game in the second half, when Auburn began to hit a wall and Alabama was running. Pettiford routinely has come out of banking this season to have an impact on large games. After Grant Nelson tied the score at 65 in a dump, Pettiford buried a 3 to stop the impulse. A couple of minutes later, he drove the lane and hit a right tray, then had another end on the edge in the next possession.
Pettiford finished with 13 points, with 11 in the second half.
How did Alabama lose east?
Medcalf: Alabama could not recover from a careless first half, forcing the crimson tide to meet during most of the game. The 10-0 game race in the second half was impressive. But those manifestations demand a lot of energy, and the crimson tide did not have enough in the section. Alabama entered Saturday as the best offensive team of the SEC, but finished 2 of 15 from the 3 -point line and only 31% from the field in the first half. Sears playing with early foul problems did not help. But the crimson tide was not good enough before the break. That calm continued in the second half.
Borzello: Alabama really fought the perimeter. The Crimson Tide lost its first nine attempts beyond the arch, with its first brand with 8:43 to go in the first half, and arrived after they had already lost two 3 in the same possession. It felt as if we were still waiting for the lid to get out of the edge, but eight 3 followed in a row that covered both halves. The only time Alabama tied the score was when Sears hit a couple of 3s and Chris Youngblood buried a deep one, but lost his last three attempts of 3. This team entered on Saturday doing more than 10 3 3 per game, and finished only 5 -Por-26.
How much of a manufacturer of difference will the depth of each team in March?
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Johni Broome aggravates ankle injury
Johni Broome de Auburn seems to aggravate his ankle injury trying to fall into a tray.
Borzello: Auburn's depth was immediately evident when the Tigers jumped to a 9-0 advantage against Alabama, giving Bruce Pearl the green light to bring Tahaad Pettiford, Chaney Johnson and Chad Baker-Mazara, all of which scored in double digits. Baker-Mazara could return to the initial alignment when it is completely healthy, but with that trio, Auburn has an elite rotation of eight men. Pettiford is one of the best first-year students in the country's great games and Johnson has admirably completed Broome when the All-American was injured.
Alabama is not very far in depth and talent, especially with a collapse of an injury. Aden Holloway and Labon Philon are game changers on the back.
Medcalf: Auburn maintained his advantage over Alabama even when Broome sat down after aggravating his ankle injury. The depth of the Tigers gives them confidence that it will be worthwhile in March, since they were 3-0 in the SEC without their candidate for the national player of the year on the court.
For Alabama, the depth is vital due to the rhythm of the equipment. Classified in second place in a tempo adjusted by game in Kenpom, Alabama needs production from his bank to give players breaks in their high power scheme. Saturday's confrontation also showed that Alabama will need an effective production from his bank when the Crimson Tide in front of problems of fouls in the postseason.
What does this result to support?
Lunardi: Two words are only needed to explain the impact of the support of this colossal confrontation in Tuscaloosa: Status quo.
With his victory, Auburn expands his cushion as the general seed number 1. Alabama also remains in number 2 in general, but with daylight ahead of No. 3 Duke. The true story for Crimson Tide is the lost opportunity to supplant the Tigers for first place in the field, until they are again, of course.
