Alabama basketball vs. Auburn Tigers: Scouting report, score prediction
Alabama basketball added a significant victory over No. 8 Baylor this past weekend, but the schedule doesn't get any easier.
The Crimson Tide, which has the No. 1 strength of schedule according to KenPom, next faces No. 1 Auburn.
Alabama has some much-needed momentum after an impressive 87-78 victory over Baylor at home in the same week that the Crimson Tide also lost to Georgia, the SEC's worst team.
Alabama will look to replicate the Baylor performance when it faces the Tigers for a second time this season. Auburn traveled to Tuscaloosa to face the Crimson Tide on Jan. 11 and emerged with an 81-77 victory after Alabama rallied late but couldn't quite finish the game.
Now, the Crimson Tide (14-7, 4-4 SEC) will try to pull off a victory over Auburn (20-1, 8-0) on the road. The two teams will face each other at 8 p.m. CT on Tuesday at Auburn Arena. The game will be televised on ESPN.
Here's a look at Auburn and a prediction.
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Auburn's season
The Tigers have put together an impressive run.
Auburn's only loss this season came to Connecticut in double overtime. It has won 17 games in a row.
The Tigers are ranked No. 6 in NET and KenPom. Auburn has six Quad 1 wins, tied for second-most behind Wisconsin and Baylor (seven each). Overall, the Tigers have an 11-1 record in Quad 1 and Quad 2.
By comparison, the Crimson Tide is No. 22 in NET and No. 18 in KenPom but is not ranked in the AP poll. Alabama also has six wins in Quad 1 games, but it also has four losses. The Crimson Tide is 9-5 in Quad 1 and Quad 2 games combined. But what hurts its resume are the two Quad 3 losses.
Auburn's best wins have been against No. 7 Kentucky and No. 25 LSU.
Numbers to know
Auburn ranks in the top 15 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.
The Tigers are No. 14 offensively and No. 12 defensively.
Auburn is No. 1, however, in blocked shots. The Tigers block eight shots per game.
The Tigers are also No. 20 in the country in field goal percentage defense (39.14%), No. 12 in scoring margin (14), No. 21 in scoring offense (79.7 points per game), No. 21 in steals per game (9.2) and No. 18 in turnover margin (4.2).
Players to watch
Jabari Smith headlines Auburn's talent-filled lineup. He's got a shot to be the first overall pick in the NBA Draft, and his showing against the Crimson Tide in January made it easy to see why.
Averaging 15.6 points per game, Smith had 25 points, seven rebounds and four blocks against Alabama. During one point in the game, he managed to draw a foul on a layup and made the free throw. On Alabama's ensuing possession, Smith blocked a shot, grabbed the rebound and went down and scored again.
Walker Kessler got into foul trouble in the first matchup, but he will present\ a challenge for Alabama in the frontcourt. He averages 11.3 points, four blocks and 7.7 rebounds per game.
K.D. Johnson is another player who the Crimson Tide will need to slow. He averages 13.2 points per game and is third in the SEC with 2.1 steals per game.
Prediction
Auburn 81, Alabama 79: The Crimson Tide has shown an ability to play to the level of its opponent, and that happens again in this matchup. But beating the No. 1 team on the road is no small task. The Tigers get the edge in a close matchup with the game being played in Auburn.
Contact Alabama reporter Nick Kelly: nkelly@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_NickKelly
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama basketball vs. Auburn: Scouting report, score prediction
