The matchup between No. 1 Auburn basketball and No. 2 Alabama in Tuscaloosa this weekend was the most highly anticipated college basketball game of the season, and boy, did it live up to the hype.
An Auburn team with the most impressive resume in the sport this season and only two losses on the year were up against the second-best team in the country. The winner earns bragging rights in the most heated rivalry in the nation and will likely top the AP Poll rankings come Monday.
Many believed that the hostile environment in Tuscaloosa paired with the hot streak of Alabama basketball would be too much for the Tigers. Yet the Tide led for zero seconds in the entire game.
Nate Oats's squad played the game close, but the Tigers were prepared and hit back after every punch from Alabama. It was a massive win that solidified Auburn as the best team in the country, but head coach Bruce Pearl and his team know that the job isn't finished with a win against the Tide.
"We're gonna enjoy it for a little bit, but then it's on to a good Arkansas team," Johni Broome said, per Auburn Undercover.
The win over Alabama was a huge deal, but there are still several ranked opponents left on the schedule for the Tigers, including Kentucky and Texas A&M, as well as rematches with Ole Miss and Alabama.
"That's a Final Four-good team, but there's a long way to go," Pearl said. "Just a long, long way to go. You look at our league with three No. 1 (seeds), a couple teams on the 2-line. Look for Texas A&M to jump in there like that in the Sweet Sixteen, and I don't know. We just take them one at a time.
"We've got Arkansas coming in on Wednesday."
The Tigers and the Razorbacks will tip off from Neville Arena at 8:00 p.m. Wednesday.