Auburn and Alabama Wednesday @ 6:00 PM...

        Auburn comes to Coleman to take on the 2nd ranked team in the nation. Archrivals are always antagonistic games. This year the season match takes on additional importance. For Alabama, a win means an SEC Champion. The Tide will keep that #1 seed. Auburn finds itself in a precarious situation. The Tigers got an absolute beat from Kentucky. The score of that one was 84-56. Pearl's team is now 19-10 and 9-7 in the league. That includes losing 7 of their 10 games. After Bama, the Tennessee Vols host Auburn in Knoxville. The Tigers may finish 9-9 in the league and 19-12 before the SEC Tournament. Who knows what might happen to the Tigers in NCAA Tournament play. 

     The rivalry has been hallmarked by hard-spirited play. So many of the players have met before in high school and AAU games. Suffice it to say, there are major surprises in this one. Both teams are well coached and will be well prepared. Surprisingly, the Tigers are in a late-season meltdown. Kenpom has them ranked 29th. Should Auburn lose to Bama and Tennessee (the next game for AU), will the Tigers get a bid?  Alabama is ranked by Kempom as the 3rd ranked team. Only Houston and Alabama are each ranked in the top 10 in adjusted offense and defense. Aubie checks in at 17th in defense and 78th on offense.

      This will be a Quad 1 game win for either team. My thinking is Bama will be an 8–10-point favorite tomorrow. Pearl has guided his teams to victories over Miss. State, Northwestern, and Arkansas. Quad one wins have been few and far between this season. They are 2-8. Auburn is 6-1 in Quad 3 games. Alabama is 3rd on Kenpom.com. Their NET ranking is 3rd. The Tide is 18th in the nation and 5th on defense. 

     But games are not played on paper or on a computer. Every game is a war in the SEC. Alabama fans would expect that against Auburn. For Alabama is important but for Auburn, it might be a season-defining moment. Auburn has good players. I think the Tide has better players. The self-proclaimed Bama killer is Wendall Green. The 5-11 point guard is averaging 23 ppg against Alabama. Green runs the Tiger offense. Stop Green and you might just stop AU. Alabama is a ten-point favorite this afternoon.