Alabama Crimson Tide vs Auburn Tigers Picks and Predictions February 15th 2025

Auburn, Alabama Ready for First No. 1 vs. No. 2 Showdown Since ’21

For all the ways he could have hyped up this historic matchup, Alabama coach Nate Oats kept it simple:

“This could be the best game in all of college basketball all year.”

Saturday’s clash in Tuscaloosa marks the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 regular-season showdown in more than three years, and the first-ever between two SEC schools. The top-ranked Auburn Tigers (22-2, 10-1 SEC) and No. 2 Alabama Crimson Tide (21-3, 10-1) both feature elite offenses and championship aspirations.

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With the SEC shaping up as the strongest conference in the nation, it’s no surprise that this epic rivalry could double as a potential Final Four preview.

“To maybe have the best basketball conference possibly ever, at some point you’d hope the two best teams in the poll end up in the SEC and at that time end up playing each other,” Oats said. “Now, on top of it all, they happen to be from the same state and are big rivals.”

Pearl, Oats Have Battle-Tested Squads

While Oats is experiencing his first No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl has been here before. In 2008, he led No. 2 Tennessee to a four-point win over No. 1 Memphis.

Since arriving at Auburn in 2014, Pearl has split 20 regular-season meetings with Alabama and holds a 4-6 record against Oats. But Saturday’s stakes are higher than ever.

“Alabama was my rival the minute I put the Auburn jacket on,” Pearl said. “But now it has national implications instead of just pride of the state. … It’s never been this.”

Offensive Fireworks Expected

Both teams feature high-powered offenses led by top Wooden Award candidates:

• Alabama leads the nation in scoring at 90.5 PPG
• Auburn ranks 8th in the country at 84.8 PPG
• Per KenPom, Auburn (131.0 points per 100 possessions) and Alabama (127.2) have the top two offensive ratings in the country

Both squads also boast deep scoring rotations:

Auburn Tigers

• Johni Broome (18.1 PPG, 8.9 RPG) – Dominant in the paint and a Wooden Award contender
• Jaylin Williams (12.4 PPG, 5.7 RPG) – Versatile forward with inside-out scoring ability
• Denver Jones (11.2 PPG) – Sharpshooter who stretches defenses
• Chaney Johnson (10.2 PPG, 76% FG last 3 games) – Breakout star off the bench

Alabama Crimson Tide

• Mark Sears (17.8 PPG, 4.2 APG) – Alabama’s leading scorer and floor general
• Grant Nelson (13.6 PPG, 7.1 RPG) – Do-it-all forward with elite athleticism
• Aaron Estrada (11.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.3 APG) – Impact two-way player
• Aden Holloway (11.8 PPG, 18 points vs. Texas) – Former Auburn guard adds extra spice to this matchup

Can Auburn hold its No. 1 ranking, or will Alabama take over the throne?

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Who’s Really the Best? We’ll Find Out Saturday

Auburn is coming off an 80-68 win over Vanderbilt, led by Chaney Johnson’s 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting. Alabama, meanwhile, crushed Texas 103-80 on Tuesday, with Jarin Stevenson dropping a career-high 22 points.

Both teams have proven they can win big games, but when asked whether Alabama is truly the best team in the country, Oats held off:

“We’ll see Saturday.”