AUBURN, Ala. – A top 25 matchup. Televised on ESPN. A potential leg up in the SEC standings on the line. This is what Bruce Pearl envisioned for the Iron Bowl rivalry when he first got to the Plains. However, seven years ago, the rivalry was dominated by football. The battle on the hardwood was an afterthought.
Times have changed.
Next Game:
Alabama
Jan. 11, 2022
8 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
Auburn, winners of 11 straight, jumped to No. 4 on Monday in the latest AP Top 25, and the college basketball world will be watching Tuesday night when the Tigers play on the road at No. 24 Alabama.
"The thing that jumps out to me is where we started when we first got here to try to have to this Auburn-Alabama basketball game mean as much as the football game," Pearl said. "Or the softball game, the baseball game, the gymnastics meet.
"It's good to have our programs (to the point) where the game matters more than just to the people here in the state of Alabama."
Pearl will be the first tell you that this Alabama team is one of the best teams Auburn will play all season. Despite Saturday's loss to Missouri, the Crimson Tide notched non-conference wins against No. 2 Gonzaga and No. 11 Houston, and they also picked up an impressive road victory at Florida last week.
"It will absolutely be our greatest challenge so far this year," Pearl said.
But the Tigers have responded to just about every challenge this season, and they've opened conference play with three straight wins – all coming by 12 or more points. No Auburn team has done that since the 1969-70 season. The current 11-game winning streak is tied for the third-longest active winning streak in college basketball.
All that to say this group will be ready.
Auburn and Alabama will tip off at 8 p.m. CT from Coleman Coliseum in what will be the 165th meeting between the two sides. Andy Burcham and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM and online at AuburnTigers.com, and the game will also be televised on ESPN with Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes on the call.
PLAYER TO WATCH: JAYLIN WILLIAMS
Junior forward Jaylin Williams came off the bench and recorded a season-high 14 points in Saturday's win over Florida. Williams, who was one of four players in double figures on the night, shot 5 of 6 from the field and a perfect 3 of 3 from the free throw line. He also grabbed three rebounds and made two of the team's nine blocks in 21 minutes of action versus the Gators. He is currently the team's fifth-leading scorer averaging 7.9 points per game.
INSIDE THE SERIES: ALABAMA
Alabama has been a tough place to play for Auburn throughout the 164-game series. The Tigers have only won 10 times in Tuscaloosa and twice in the Bruce Pearl Era in 2017 and 2019. In 2019, it was sophomore Chuma Okeke who led the way with 17 points, 14 rebounds and three assists as Auburn left with a 66-60 victory.
The Crimson Tide hold a 99-65 lead in the all-time series and are winners of the last two meetings with Auburn, including a 70-58 victory in Tuscaloosa last March.
RISING UP THE RANKS
Behind an 11-game win streak and a dominating 3-0 start to SEC play, Auburn moved up five spots to No. 4 in both The Associated Press and ESPN Coaches Top 25 Polls on Monday. It was the Tigers' third appearance in the Top 5 in the last three seasons under Bruce Pearl. They spent back-to-back weeks in the Top 5 in January 2020.
Below are the highest national rankings achieved by the program in the Pearl Era.
2017-18: 8th
2018-19: 7th
2019-20: 4th
2021-22: 4th