Basketball's Iron Bowl quickly became one of the best rivalries not only in the SEC but in all of college basketball.
Both teams are on the upswing, and tonight's game at Neville Arena will be the first meeting between the two teams in the top 20 since 1987, and the fifth time in their 170-game history that both schools have been ranked. becomes.The game will be broadcast on ESPN2 – tip-off at 6 p.m.
Not to be outdone by each team's head coach, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl and Alabama head coach Nate Oats exchanged friendly jabs in the days leading up to the game.
Oates began by comparing Neville Arena to the environment of a high school gym in terms of how close the students are to the court and how noisy the venue is.
“It reminds me of a high school gymnasium with a lot of people. You cram 2,000 people into a high school gymnasium and create a similar environment. Whether it's 8-seater, 9-seater or 10,000-seater seats, this is where you can pack your stuff. You can pack in. That place is loud.'' – Nate Oates at Auburn's Neville Arena pic.twitter.com/3aZr6QUfxs
— Next Round (@NextRoundLive) February 6, 2024
“It's hard to even hear your thoughts, it's hard to get play calls, it's hard for players to communicate on defense, there's a lot of noise,” Oats said. “It's amazing, I love it. It reminds me of a high school gym with a lot of people.”
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While Oats' comments could certainly be interpreted as a compliment, Pearl took a more direct jab at mentioning the suspension of Alabama big man Nick Pringle, who Oats says will be available to play tonight.
Bruce Pearl talks about Nick Pringle tomorrow against Auburn: @abc3340
“They were a little thin up front, but one of their suspended players will be available against Auburn. Just imagine.” pic.twitter.com/e6i6OQjVW9
— Chris McCulley (@ChrisMcCulleyTV) February 6, 2024
“They were a little thin up front, but one of their suspended players will be available against Auburn. Just imagine,” Pearl frowned.
Not that this matchup needed anything special, but both coaches know how to push the buttons of the other's fan base, making Part 2 of this season's basketball Iron Bowl more anticipated than ever. It has become a thing.
Michael Brauner is a senior sports analyst and contributing writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP
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