Bruce Pearl couldn’t have summed it up higher as his No. 1-ranked Auburn Tigers get set to tackle No. 2 Alabama at 4 p.m. ET on Saturday in Tuscaloosa.
The implications are limitless in basketball’s Iron Bowl, which would be the first 1 vs. 2 assembly not solely between these two packages, however within the historical past of the SEC Convention. That is the kind of sport that may resolve who finally ends up being the No. 1 total seed within the NCAA Match. It is a sport that may permit the winner to seek out separation on the prime of the SEC regular-season title race, with each groups getting into at 10-1 within the league. And let’s not overlook that solely 157 miles separate the 2 bitter rivals, with this sport having bragging rights, recruiting implications and way more.
Coleman Coliseum goes to be rocking with a number of All-People on show between Auburn’s Nationwide Participant of the Yr candidate, Johni Broome, and Alabama’s celebrity level guard, Mark Sears. And for a viewer, that is basketball nirvana. These two groups are No. 1 and a pair of in KenPom offensive effectivity.
“I feel this basketball sport could also be the most effective sport in all of faculty basketball for the whole yr,” Crimson Tide head coach Nate Oats instructed FOX Sports activities. “Now, relying on what occurs on this sport, then the subsequent three weeks, we shut the common season with a rematch at Auburn on March 8. We’ll see how every part shakes out. However actually, it is 1 vs. 2, however relying on what you take a look at, it may be argued as 1 vs. 1 since we’re on the prime of the coaches ballot.
“Look, Auburn’s higher within the analytics websites than us. And we all know it. They’ve solely bought two losses, and one in all them simply got here extra lately than us. So, I do not disagree with the AP Ballot in any respect, however the good factor is it isn’t like old-fashioned soccer the place you get to let the voters resolve. We truly get to resolve on the courtroom on Saturday.”
For these two groups to be representing the SEC on this 1 vs. 2 showdown could be very becoming. Auburn and Alabama have accounted for six of the final eight championships between the convention match and common season.
“The championships within the SEC are working by the state of Alabama,” mentioned Pearl, who joined FOX Sports activities by telephone for an unique interview from Auburn’s crew bus on Friday afternoon. “I feel we each helped one another elevate each other’s program to get thus far. Nate Oats is likely one of the finest coaches in faculty basketball, plain and easy. I feel if you’re recruiting and recruits know that Alabama is our rival, and Alabama’s recruits know that Auburn is their rival, it elevates us. To some extent, Kentucky and Tennessee used to profit from that. Duke and Carolina clearly do. Michigan and Michigan State do too.
“Have a look at the mathematics: we have gained 4 SEC championships within the final seven years. That is what this rivalry has develop into. It has risen to a stage that is been nearly as good as any showdown within the sport in recent times.”
FOX Sports activities caught up with each head coaches forward of Saturday’s heavyweight conflict.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl:
How particular is it to be on this stage on Saturday?
“That is what each coach and each participant goals about. The chance to play in opposition to the most effective groups on the largest stage with championship implications on the road. It is why you’re employed so laborious all yr lengthy, to arrange and put your self to get a chance like this.”
You weren’t included within the AP preseason prime 10. Proper now, your crew is 22-2 on the season and stayed at No. 1, even after a loss final weekend to Florida. When do you know this crew might be extraordinary?
“Truthfully, after we performed Houston. And I do know that was simply the second sport of the yr, however to go down there and play an amazing crew and an amazing coach, to deal with that large second, that elevated my expectations for this yr’s crew. And naturally, we go to Maui and win the match, we’re aggressive at Duke, after which we go two months with out shedding a sport. In my thoughts, we have misplaced two video games [Duke and Florida] to a pair of potential Last 4 groups, and we’re taking part in one other one on Saturday.”
I do not ever need to say shedding is an effective factor, nevertheless it’s fascinating that you simply go from final Saturday to this one the place you fell to Florida, and now you’ve got bought Alabama. What did you are taking from the loss to the Gators that you must regulate to beat the Crimson Tide?
“Effectively, I do not suppose shedding to Florida … you realize, you get the ‘effectively, not less than we misplaced the sport right now of the yr.’ Like, what, you suppose that is the one sport we will lose?! I am glad we bought that one out of the best way. … That is this league. I feel Florida performed nice, they made photographs, they have been extra lively than we have been, and we appeared a step gradual. Effectively, get this: Alabama is even sooner than them. They play on the No. 1 tempo of any high-major. That is the leading-scoring crew in faculty basketball in Alabama in opposition to the No. 1 effectivity crew in Auburn. And so each groups are actually good offensively. We are able to play quick, however we do not need to play loopy quick.”
With that being mentioned, how a lot have you ever preached to your crew that protection would be the distinction on this sport?
“Fully. Protection and rebounding are going to be the entire distinction. Strive as we would, Florida put 90 on us. Alabama has scored 100 factors seven occasions this yr, so yeah, we have got to be on our sport. We have to make performs on the defensive finish.”
To that finish, if you’re watching Alabama, what’s it that permits them to be the nation’s highest scoring offense? What issues you probably the most with having to protect them?
“They have 4 or 5 ideas which might be very laborious to protect given their personnel and the best way they execute them. So it is nearly like, ‘effectively, we are able to do that, however then they will take that or in case you take one thing else away, they will simply counter it.’ That is the mark of a well-put-together offense. You are damned in case you do and also you’re damned in case you do not.”
Who’s your tone-setter on the defensive finish?
“I feel Dylan Cardwell is the most effective defensive participant in faculty basketball. He would not get talked about loads, however he can guard 1-5, and he’ll have an enormous presence. It is going to take all 5 guys being actually related. That is completely not an offensive crew which you could beat with one or two guys defending. We’d like all 5 to be elite on that finish of the ground.”
What is the distinction between your first assembly with Alabama as Auburn’s head coach and this one?
“That is arguably for an SEC championship. That is for a No. 1 total seed. That is for all the bragging rights. What extra might you ask for? Eleven years in the past, it was a enjoyable rivalry for us to speak about in our state. On Saturday, it is the highest story within the sports activities world. We love every part about it.”
Whenever you verify into the lodge tonight, do you get a foul look from somebody in Tuscaloosa? Do you sense the rivalry?
“No, no (laughter). I do not know what that lodge will really feel like tonight, however here is what I do know: this sport means extra to our gamers. It means extra to our followers. It means extra to our scholar our bodies. It is every part for lots of people. I simply hope that on Saturday, it is a good sport and a clear sport.”
Alabama head coach Nate Oats:
At the beginning, I do know you’ve a number of objectives and I understand how a lot you need to win a nationwide championship. However in case you might concentrate on the right here and now for a second, to have a 1 vs. 2 rivalry showdown in Tuscaloosa with the eyes of the nation watching, what does this imply?
“It is thrilling and it is fairly cool to see the extent that basketball has reached within the SEC as an entire. For the league to be nearly as good as it’s this yr, and for us and Auburn to be tied on the prime, with us being in the identical state and assembly one another in a giant rivalry sport, it is particular. Once I bought right here, Auburn had simply come off a Last 4 look and we had some work to do to catch our in-state rival. And it is form of been back-and-forth. For those who depend the SEC common season and match champions, six out of the final eight have been gained by the 2 of us.
“Bruce has clearly achieved an unbelievable job taking them from the place he bought them. That program wasn’t superb in any respect when he took it over, so for him to take it to the extent they’re at, making a Last 4 in 2019 and having the potential to make one other, it is one thing. Once I took over our program in 2019, it was not practically as dangerous off as Auburn was when Bruce took over there. We had some expertise, however we nonetheless needed to construct it from the place it was. So, for each of us to now be sitting at No. 1 and a pair of within the nation, taking part in for lots at stake – an SEC championship, seeding within the NCAA Match and extra, it is unimaginable. It is all the time been a rivalry, however there’s a lot extra at stake now.”
For the reason that Jan. 14 dwelling loss to Ole Miss, you’ve got reeled off seven straight wins and you have scored 85 or extra factors in all however one sport on the streak whereas posting 100 or extra in three video games. What has clicked on your crew?
“You understand what, with the Ole Miss sport, I did not suppose we got here in ready for that sport. I instructed our crew that we simply weren’t able to play and we did not need to win. The crew that deserved to win that sport gained that sport. Our preparation, our time within the gymnasium and even exterior of apply, issues weren’t the place they wanted to be. There have been a number of issues that, if we need to be a championship-level crew, wanted to alter. And I feel they answered the bell after that.
“Our guys are within the gymnasium much more. We need to make photographs now that we did not need to make earlier than, when guys weren’t working as laborious as they wanted to. Ole Miss did play a switching protection and I felt we did not assault that very effectively, however I additionally did not suppose our guys ready to do it in apply. So, I feel apply habits have gotten higher in apply and out of doors of apply. You understand, our protection is not the place we wish it to be, however I do suppose our protection has improved. For those who’re working extra off misses, it is loads simpler on your offense. So, we have upped the depth stage in a number of areas for the reason that Ole Miss sport.”
Defensively, who’s bringing their lunch pail day-after-day?
“Chris Youngblood, for positive. After which Mohamed Dioubate is hard each night time out. He is bought to arrange a bit of bit higher schematics smart. He positively brings toughness each night time. However I’d say Youngblood and Grant Nelson. These two convey it each night time. Grant bought a bit of banged up and wasn’t the place he wanted to be. However actually, Mark Sears has been good for the reason that LSU sport. He is been practising considerably tougher and he is taking part in tougher. His solely problem proper now could be turnovers. If he will get the turnovers discovered, he’d be taking part in the most effective basketball on either side of the ball in his faculty profession. So, hopefully we are able to get that discovered actual quickly.”
You benched Mark Sears within the second half of the 80-73 win over LSU again on Jan. 25. What transpired after that sport?
“We had a gathering to debate what the problems have been and extra of it stemmed from the truth that he is our greatest participant, and we want him to arrange to play effectively by practising laborious. I imply, there’s a number of accountability that comes with all of what is being the most effective participant on a extremely good crew. You lead the crew in minutes, in shot makes an attempt and a lot extra, and there is going to be a number of accountability that comes with that. And after we’re tied with an LSU crew at halftime that all of us really feel we’re considerably higher than, any individual’s bought to take some possession and there should be some adjustments made.
“We’re actually simply making an attempt to inspire guys to offer higher effort, and we simply wanted to deal with it a bit of bit higher. No person needs Mark to play dangerous. All of us need him to play higher. We simply wished him to play a bit of tougher and take some extra possession of how the crew performs, not simply how he performs. It had nothing to do with the truth that he was taking pictures 0-for-5 within the sport. It had extra to do with apply habits, effort in the course of the sport, after which response to not beginning the second half. It was a shock to him. You possibly can warn individuals all you need, however you do not know how they are going to reply. Within the second, possibly it wasn’t what we have been all searching for, however after the sport, I assumed he was actually good celebrating along with his teammates and within the days after, I feel he has practiced as laborious as he ever has in his profession. And in consequence, he is taking part in loads higher exterior of a few of the turnover points. However I feel he is taking part in the most effective basketball of his profession proper now.”
You went 16-15 within the 2019-20 season, your first on the helm. Clearly, the switch portal wasn’t what it’s now and the power to take over a program and actually flip a roster over was not as a lot of a factor as it’s as we speak. But when I instructed you in April 2020 that lower than 5 years later you would be No. 2 within the nation and internet hosting the No. 1 crew within the nation on a Saturday afternoon, what would you’ve mentioned?
“Oh man. ‘We have a number of work to do to get there!
“We have been one sport over .500 that yr. Recruiting went rather well to get us there, that is what I’d have mentioned. You could not flip a roster shortly again then, however we knew the system we wished to place in place. We did not essentially have the personnel to do it, however we put within the system anyway. A whole lot of coaches say they are going to play quick and play trendy basketball with numerous 3s, however solely once they get their roster proper. Effectively, 4 years after they have the job, if they do not have the roster proper, it is laborious to recruit to that till you present that you simply’re truly doing it. We simply put it in and we had guys that have been conventional post-up bigs taking part in out on the perimeter.
“We turned Alex Reese into a distinct participant and he is now with the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. No person thought that man was going to play within the NBA. There was some expertise on the roster, nevertheless it simply wasn’t constructed the best way we wished to play a lot in any respect. Now we had Kira Lewis and Jaden Shackleford, and Herb Jones was in a forged the vast majority of the yr. We knew we needed to recruit guys to suit it. Nevertheless it’s simply, at that time, it is not possible to flip a roster that shortly. So, we put it in and we endured some losses. Possibly we might have had just a few extra wins in the event that they performed much more like they did beforehand. However that is not how we wished to play. It is not what we wished recruits to see, and it isn’t what we wished our present gamers doing.
“I feel if we might have gone on the market to simply gained video games in Yr 1 and that is it, we’d not have had the Yr 2 that we had after we gained the SEC common season and match championships and reached the Candy 16. Sure guys would not have recognized to play within the system in Yr 2 had we achieved one thing completely completely different in Yr 1. All of these guys needed to study the system and find out how we play. Whenever you add the suitable items to it, it went loads higher.”
What about Auburn stands out to you probably the most?
“The quantity of men that may make powerful photographs. I imply, we listed off all of the completely different gamers’ excessive scoring performances this season, and you’ve got a number of guys on that crew which have scored within the mid to excessive 20s, if not 30s at occasions. Shoot, simply final sport, Chaney Johnson got here in off the bench and had 20 factors. Denver Jones scored 21. It wasn’t Johni Broome or Chad Baker-Mazara. It was others. They’ve so many guys who can try this in any given sport.
“Everyone’s going to speak about Johni Broome and that he deserves to win nationwide participant of the yr, and rightly so. He deserves the love, however they have a number of guys that may go for 20 in any sport this yr. You possibly can’t simply lock into stopping one or two gamers. There are such a lot of completely different guys that may rating it, and in case you double Broome, he can cross it at a excessive stage. Then, hastily, you are coping with 40% 3-point shooters. They usually additionally flip you over, they rating off turnovers and so they get offensive boards. So, their first-shot offense is absolutely good, however they’re additionally scoring off turnovers and in second-chance factors. That is why their effectivity numbers are so excessive. So, we have got to remove the factors off turnovers and second-chance factors as a lot as potential.”
What would you like your environment to be on Saturday night time?
“This can be a rivalry sport. The environment is all the time good after we play them, even after we weren’t good in my first yr and we beat a top-five Auburn crew. I would like it to be a high-basketball IQ crowd, understanding when to cheer and the suitable stuff to cheer about. I do not need to be about hating Auburn and being in opposition to them. I imply, I am positive there will likely be a few of that due to the character of this rivalry, nevertheless it must be an informed basketball crowd that cheers profitable performs that perceive what it takes to win at a excessive stage. You understand, the hustle performs, the blue-collar performs, the defensive stops. We’d like it to be loud to will us to stops, and you realize what, I feel we have got a reasonably good basketball fan base. I feel we simply must concentrate on cheering profitable performs on Saturday night time.”
After we’re speaking 15-20 years in the past and No. 1 vs. No. 2 is going on, it was in all probability involving Kansas or possibly an version of Duke vs. Carolina. However that is an SEC sport and your remaining seven league video games are all in opposition to ranked opponents. What does Saturday’s sport and stage say about what has been the most effective convention efficiency in a single season that we have ever seen?
“You have to give a number of credit score to [SEC Commissioner] Greg Sankey, the SEC, and all the athletic administrators within the league for placing an emphasis on getting basketball as much as the extent. Now, we have got an extended strategy to go on that as a result of SEC soccer has been excellent for a very long time, however not less than for this season, we’re at that stage. And I feel there’s a number of credit score that belongs to the coaches who’re scheduling appropriately. Once I first bought right here, a number of the groups in our convention have been placing collectively weak non-conference schedules, to place it mildly. However now, they’re bringing it to those big-time video games and getting wins.
“Missouri beat Kansas and Dennis [Gates] has achieved an amazing job. Buzz Williams is scheduling considerably tougher than what it was once I bought into the league. Bruce [Pearl] scheduled the hardest non-conference schedule within the historical past of Auburn Basketball. So I feel it is the precedence placed on basketball by the league, the extent of coaches which were fired, the job every one of many coaches is doing, and we’re all pushing one another to make one another higher. I imply shoot, there is not any simple video games on this league. We misplaced to Ole Miss and so they barely survived previous South Carolina, who hasn’t even gained a sport in our league. That is a troublesome out at South Carolina, it’s. There is no simple video games. Everyone did their job within the non-conference.
“We went 14-2 within the ACC Problem. Once I was rising up in Wisconsin, the ACC and Huge East have been king. The Huge Ten garnered consideration too, however the SEC wasn’t what everyone dreamed and hoped for. I used to be watching the ACC and Huge East each single night time. Nevertheless it’s gotten to the purpose now the place I feel it is an thrilling model of basketball. We’re main the nation in scoring, and we have led the nation in scoring the final two years. And different groups in our league are taking part in entertaining types too.
John Fanta is a nationwide faculty basketball broadcaster and author for FOX Sports activities. He covers the game in quite a lot of capacities, from calling video games on FS1 to serving as lead host on the BIG EAST Digital Community to offering commentary on The Area of 68 Media Community. Comply with him at @John_Fanta.
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