The No. 1-ranked Auburn Tigers visit No. 2 Alabama in the best game of the season in college basketball. Saturday’s meeting, while rare, is not unprecedented. The meeting between Auburn and Alabama will be the sixth men’s college basketball game all-time between teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the AP Poll from the same state.
The previous five meetings have gone the way of the No. 2 team. That bodes well for the Alabama Crimson Tide this afternoon. They are also a slight favorite heading into this marquee matchup. The winner of this game will have a great chance to be one of the No. 1 seeds in the 2025 NCAA tournament. Which Alabama-based team will prevail?
Auburn Tigers Season Summary
Today's meeting between Auburn and Alabama will be the sixth men's college basketball game all-time between teams ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the AP Poll from the same state.
The team ranked second won each of the first five such meetings. pic.twitter.com/rp6dU8HcMe
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) February 15, 2025
Head Coach Bruce Pearl has his team playing extremely well. They are 22-2 and 10-1 in the SEC. Their two losses came to No. 9 Duke on the road and last Saturday to No. 8 Florida. Auburn is ninth in the nation in points per game and 66th in points per game. The offense of the Auburn Tigers has been so good this season, that their middling defense has not hurt them. That may not continue being the case with the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament around the corner.
Alabama Season Summary
The Alabama Crimson Tide are tied with Auburn atop the SEC but have lost one more non-conference game. Alabama’s losses this season came against No. 13 Purdue on the road, an unranked Oregon team in Las Vegas, and at home against No. 21 Ole Miss last month. Head Coach Nate Oats has the Alabama Crimson Tide playing at an unprecedented level. Alabama is the best offense in the country and one of the 30 worst defensive teams. They must begin playing better defense. Following a Final Four appearance last year, Alabama picked up right where they left off this season.
Final Thoughts
This game will take place today at 4:00 PM ET, and for a regular season game, the stakes could not be much higher. The winner will be in a great position heading into the final weeks of the regular season and postseason play. The Auburn Tigers will host Alabama on the final day of the regular season for their second matchup.
