Jan. 16, 2018
#17 Auburn at Alabama
(2017-18 RECORD: 16-1, 4-0 SEC) vs. (2017-18 RECORD: 11-6, 3-2 SEC)
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| Wed, Jan 17 | 2:30 p.m. |
By Greg Ostendorf
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃƒÆ'¢'¬" Coming off come-from-behind victories against Ole Miss and Mississippi State to improve to 4-0 in SEC play, the road doesn't get any easier for Bruce Pearl and his No. 17 Auburn team as they travel to Tuscaloosa to play Alabama on Wednesday night.
"This is a good opportunity for us," Pearl said. "Alabama, I think they're the most talented team that we've played so far. They have great size, and they do a great job with their size. Big guards and big wings. They're a powerful team. We're going to have to play our best game to be able to win. It's a tough place to play obviously, and it's a rivalry game for us. It just means more."
The Tigers swept Alabama a season ago, but this is a different Crimson Tide team. They signed a top-10 recruiting class in the offseason, and the gem of that class, guard Colin Sexton, is currently second in the SEC in scoring, averaging 19.3 points per game.
Pearl says Auburn will use different guys to try and defend Sexton, but in late-game situations when the Tigers need a stop, he'll likely call Bryce Brown's number.
"I enjoy it every game, guarding the top guard of every team," Brown said. "He's potentially going to be a lottery pick, so that will be an interesting matchup to see how I can do against him, somebody of that talent."
Offensively, Brown is tied for seventh in the conference with 16 points per game. His 23-point effort against Mississippi State on Saturday helped him narrowly edge Mustapha Heron (15.8) for the team lead in scoring, but Auburn has four players currently averaging double figures. As a team, the Tigers lead the SEC with 86.5 points per game this season.
The clash with in-state rival Alabama will tip off at 6 p.m. CT on Wednesday from Coleman Coliseum. Rod Bramblett and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the TuneIn app. The game will also be televised on SEC Network with Roy Philpott and Brooke Weisbrod on the call.
Player to watch: Jared Harper
One of the top point guards in the SEC, Jared Harper has emerged as the floor general for the 17th-ranked Auburn Tigers. Harper has amassed double-digit scoring outputs in 14 games, including a team-best nine straight leading into Wednesday's matchup with Alabama. The sophomore is averaging 14.0 points per game and has drained 28 of 32 free throws in four SEC contests this campaign.
Inside the series: Alabama
The Crimson Tide own a 94-61 lead in the all-time series, including a 48-9 record in Tuscaloosa. However, the two rivals have split the last 10 matchups.
With a win, the Tigers - having won both matchups last year - could own a three-game winning streak in the rivalry for the first time since 2009-10. Should Auburn prevail, it will have won back-to-back games in Coleman Coliseum for the first time since 1970-71.
Coach Pearl has had success against the Tide in his career. Pearl is 8-6 versus Alabama with three of those wins coming as the head coach of Auburn.
Knocking down the freebies
Auburn is the only team in the SEC to have all five of its starters shoot 75 percent or better from the free-throw line. As a team, the Tigers lead the conference shooting 77.8 percent, which is up significantly from when they shot 67.2 percent a season ago.
Harper and Desean Murray are shooting a team-best 82 percent from the charity stripe.
On this date
On Jan. 17, 2009, the Tigers took down Alabama by a score of 85-71. Tay Waller led the way with 22 points on 7 of 10 shooting. Waller cashed six shots from downtown to highlight the 10 3-pointers made by the Tigers.
The Tigers hold a 9-14 record all-time on Jan. 17 with two of those wins coming against Alabama.
Take a timeout
Click here to vote for Bruce Pearl and Children's Harbor in the Coaches Charity Challenge. The coach with the most votes after four rounds wins $100,000 for their charity. Each charity will receive money for every round their representative coach is voted through.
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf