Auburn basketball vs. Alabama: Our scouting report, score prediction

AUBURN — Auburn basketball has lost four of its past five games. But all of that can be forgiven Saturday afternoon if the Tigers figure out a way to knock off No. 3 Alabama with ESPN's "College GameDay" in attendance.

The Crimson Tide is rolling. Coach Nate Oats has led his squad to a 12-1 record since Dec. 17 and an undefeated mark in conference play. The only hiccup Alabama (21-3, 11-0 SEC) has had was on the road against Oklahoma on Jan. 28, a meeting that featured the Sooners shooting 57.6% from the field and 69.2% from 3-point range.

Alabama freshman forward Brandon Miller's 19 points per game paces the SEC. The 6-foot-9, 200-pound former five-star star prospect has scored less than 10 points only once this season, and on nine occasions he's dropped 20 or more, including a 36-point performance against Gonzaga nearly two months ago.

Although the AP Top 25 Poll and the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll have the Crimson Tide tabbed as the No. 3 team in the nation, both KenPom and the NET rankings have Alabama at No. 2, behind only Houston. Auburn (17-7, 7-4) is slotted No. 27 by KenPom and No. 32 by the NET.

Here's a scouting report for the game Saturday (1 p.m. CT, ESPN) and our score prediction.

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Get physical

Miller is a phenom. His 3-point shooting prowess both off the dribble and on the catch coupled with his desire to get after it on the glass − his 8.3 rebounds per game is fourth best in the SEC − makes him one of the best players in the country. And between guys like junior guard Mark Sears and freshman forward Noah Clowney, Miller is far from Alabama's only weapon

What the Crimson Tide won't have, though, is the backing of the crowd. The Jungle is going to be rocking, and Auburn needs to channel that energy on the court by getting into Alabama and making it an ugly game. The Crimson Tide has made the most 3-pointers of any team in the conference this season, but Auburn's 3-point defense, which is top-five in the nation, could be a factor.

For the Tigers' sake, it needs to be.

Charles Bediako vs. Johni Broome

Alabama's most physically imposing player is sophomore center Charles Bediako, who is listed as the only 7-footer on either side heading into the matchup. His 5.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game are modest, but his 1.6 blocks in an average of 20 minutes are good for fifth-best in the conference.

Auburn has its own interior presence in 6-10 forward Johni Broome. Broome averages 2.6 blocks per game and is a much more offensive threat than Bediako as the Morehead State transfer is averaging nearly a double-double with 13.7 points and nine rebounds this season.

Mark Sears heating up

Sears logged 19 points in a win over Florida on Wednesday, his best scoring output since he posted 26 against Arkansas on Jan. 11. The four 3-pointers he connected on against the Gators were the most he's hit in a game since he achieved that against Mississippi State on Dec. 28.

If he's in a groove and serving as that sidekick next to Miller, the Crimson Tide is as good as any team in the country.

Score prediction

Alabama 79, Auburn 70: Despite a 1-4 record over the past five games, Auburn's last three losses have come by just a combined 11 points. The Tigers hang in there again, keeping things within striking distance against Alabama, but the Crimson Tide ultimately proves to be too tough.

Richard Silva is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at rsilva@gannett.com or on Twitter @rich_silva18.

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Auburn basketball vs. Alabama: Our scouting report, score prediction