Under Nate Oats, Alabama basketball has carved out a clear identity - fast, fearless, and firing from deep. The Crimson Tide don’t just play with tempo; they weaponize it.
Their offense is built to stretch defenses thin and bury them under a barrage of threes. Right now, Alabama leads the nation in three-point attempts per game at 36.1, and they’re not shy about letting it fly early and often.
It’s an NBA-style, pace-and-space attack that thrives on transition and volume shooting - and when it’s clicking, it can be overwhelming.
On the other side of Saturday’s rivalry showdown, Auburn is taking a different route to success. Bruce Pearl’s Tigers have leaned into physicality and paint pressure, preferring to attack downhill rather than live and die by the three.
Their offense is built on rim pressure, drawing contact, and getting to the free throw line - a style that’s served them well so far this season. And when they’re at their best, they’re forcing defenses to collapse, opening up kick-out opportunities that come in rhythm, not desperation.
Pearl knows exactly what kind of game Alabama wants to play - and he’s not interested in playing it.
“We can't get into a transition contest and we can't get into a 3-point contest with Alabama because that's what they do really well,” Pearl said Thursday. “What we do really well is attack the rim.
We've got to run opportunistically when we have advantage. But when we don't have advantage, we've got to run offense, we've got to make them cover.”
That’s the blueprint: control the pace, pick your spots, and don’t get baited into a shootout. Alabama wants chaos - Auburn needs control.
It’s not just about slowing the game down for the sake of it. Auburn thrives when it’s deliberate with its possessions, when it forces defenses to react, and when it plays through its strengths.
That means smart reads: knowing when to push and when to pull it out and set up. Their ability to draw help inside has generated clean looks from the perimeter, but the key is staying within the flow of the offense.
Forced threes - especially early in the shot clock - play right into Alabama’s hands.
“Playing in the 75-80 possessions is not a strength of ours,” Pearl admitted. “We've got to make smart decisions offensively on when to attack and when not to attack.
We've got to attack the rim because that's what we've been good at all year. And when the defense collapses down and gives us open opportunities from three, we've got to do a better job of stepping up and making those shots as the game goes on.”
Last weekend’s loss to Tennessee served as a reminder of what happens when Auburn strays from its identity. Pearl didn’t mince words - the Tigers played “out of character,” and it cost them.
“Some uncharacteristic shots from three that we should have taken to the basket, and then some silly fouls that put them ultimately at the foul line,” Pearl said, pointing to the key breakdowns in that game.
That can’t happen again - not against an Alabama team that’s more than capable of turning a few bad possessions into a double-digit run in the blink of an eye.
The good news for Auburn? This roster knows what’s at stake.
The players understand the significance of this rivalry - for their season, for their fans, and for the SEC race. But emotion can be a double-edged sword, and the Tigers are focused on keeping their heads in the moment.
Freshman forward Sebastian Williams-Adams echoed that mindset, emphasizing discipline and staying true to the team’s identity.
“Just kind of knowing that Alabama is going to want a high-tempo game,” Williams-Adams said. “They're going to want a bunch of threes going up, and our team just focusing on what makes this Auburn basketball team click - it's just really important.
And I would say it's probably the most important thing come Saturday because there will be high emotions. There will be a bunch of trash talk.
So just focusing on what makes us us is probably the most important thing.”
Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. CST on ESPN2, and make no mistake - this isn’t just a clash of in-state rivals.
It’s a battle of styles, philosophies, and execution. Alabama wants to run and gun.
Auburn wants to grind and punish. The team that sticks to what it does best - and doesn’t blink when the pressure hits - is the one that’ll walk away with a massive win.