Look deeper into why and you'll see Bama is pulling off a gambit that has rarely been duplicated. The Tide rank third nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom.com, yet they have the second-quickest offense in the sport (their average possession is 14 seconds on a 30-second shot clock) and that translates to an adjusted tempo of 74.5 possessions per game, which is the seventh-fastest in college basketball. Fast teams normally aren't great on defense. Alabama breaks the concept.

Alabama hasn’t swept Auburn since the 2015 season, Bruce Pearl’s first. A win tonight would also give Pearl a losing record against the Tide since he showed up on the Plains, so it would be sweet in a number of ways to send the seniors out with a win in their final game in Coleman Coliseum.

Three Keys to Victory

Defensive Rebounding. Even though the Tide has been playing significantly better basketball in the last few weeks, giving up second chance points via offensive rebounds is still killing Alabama. Auburn happens to be quite good at it too, as they are averaging 12.5 ORPG. A great way to get beat by a lesser team on the road is by giving up extra possessions. Alabama has to improve in this area.

Thanks guys. We made it safely home. It rained on us all the way from Pensacola to Atlanta. Luckily, we made it through Atlanta without incident. Its cold and dreary here. I miss P'cola already.