Auburn vs Alabama Preview: First Mathup Between Bruce Pearl and Avery Johnson

Auburn (8-8, 2-3) hosts Alabama (10-6, 1-3) for the first Iron Bowl of basketball this season. Auburn is coming off of a huge home win over Kentucky, while Alabama is coming off of a loss to Vanderbilt on the road. This is the first matchup between Bruce Pearl and Avery Johnson who both seem to have basketball in the state on the rise.

Avery Johnson has Alabama playing much better than people thought they would fare this season, while Bruce Pearl has had to watch his team struggle with injuries and other issues. Luckily for Pearl and Auburn, they get the first game between the two rivals in Auburn Arena. Coming off a game where the home court helped tremendously in the win over Kentucky, Auburn Arena should be packed and loud once again as the Tigers try to get two wins in a row over their two biggest opponents.

As the season was starting to head in the wrong direction, the win over Kentucky was a big confidence booster for both the team and Auburn fans. Auburn will need to play well once again to get the win over Alabama and keep the momentum rolling.This won’t be an easy task for the Tigers, but if key players play well, Auburn should still have the talent to knock off Alabama, especially at home.

Alabama has only played five road games this season and has lost three of them, including both in SEC play. Their only road wins came at Southern Miss and Clemson, which has turned into a very impressive win since Clemson has now knocked off three straight ranked teams in ACC play.

Alabama and Avery Johnson have prided themselves in their defense this season, which is currently the 19th most efficient in the country. The Tide aims to slow teams down and make them use the entire shot clock to find a shot. Similar to the Harvard game earlier this season, Alabama will try to make Auburn run a half court offense. Unlike against Harvard, Auburn has to get around this and play the game at a faster pace, which benefits them more. Playing at home, this should be easier than it was on a neutral court, but if Alabama is able to slow the game down like Harvard did, Auburn will have to shoot the ball exceptionally well.

In order to avoid a slow paced game, Auburn should try to get out in transition as much as they can. If the Tigers can’t force turnovers or run out after rebounds, they’ll have to look to be aggressive as soon as they pass half court before Alabama has a chance to setup a half court defense.While Auburn has been a good three-point shooting team this season, they need to attack the basket early.

Both teams have been some of the worst at the free throw line this season, but if Auburn can get Alabama in foul trouble early it can even out the depth issues for the Tigers. As good as Kareem Canty has been this season from beyond the arc, he’s at his best when he’s attacking first and then relying on the deep ball only when it comes to him. Cinmeon Bowers and Tyler Harris also have to take the ball up strong.

Taking the ball to the hoop will be no easy task as Alabama has a handful of big guys that can protect the rim. Jimmie Taylor is a 6-foot-10 forward that will protect the rim for the Tide. Taylor has 29 blocks on the year and gets one on 8.9 percent of opponent possessions. Bower and Harris have both had issues with going up strong for the Tigers and if they do that against Alabama, the Tide will take advantage of it.

Bowers and Harris are both more athletic than the Alabama bigs, but if they try to turn it into a strength game down low, Alabama should dominate the paint. Against Kentucky, Tyler Harris showed that he can hit the outside jump shot and that could come in handy against Alabama as well.

Retin Obasohan is the veteran leader of this Alabama team and has elevated his play this season to become one of the better guards in the SEC. He leads Alabama with 13.7 points per game and is always in attack mode. His energy could be a problem for Auburn, especially if the Tigers allow him to explode to the rim. Bryce Brown did a good job against Kentucky’s guards and has been improving as a defender all year for Auburn. I’d like to see Brown guard Obasohan tomorrow night, but Kareem Canty will also find himself in front of Alabama’s point guard.

Whoever is guarding Obasohan needs to stay in front of him and try and force him to take a jump shot. Auburn played their best defense of the season against Kentucky, and a similar performance could almost shutdown Alabama’s offense, which is not their strength.

Anytime Auburn and Alabama get together, it’s a big game. This game is even bigger with it being the first game between Johnson and Bruce Pearl. Auburn is having a struggling season mostly due to injuries, while Alabama is playing much better than most people thought. Despite injuries, Bruce Pearl has one extra year on Johnson and gets the first matchup at home. Coming off a win over Kentucky, Auburn needs to keep the momentum going and get a key win over Alabama to keep their title as the best team in the state.

Auburn Arena should be rocking, and the home court will be the difference in the game, which should allow Auburn to increase the pace of play, and help give them an advantage over Alabama. Auburn has the advantage talent-wise, and I think the Tigers will pick up where they left off against Kentucky on the way to a 75-65 victory over Alabama.