Alabama Basketball: 2019-20 keys to beat Auburn Tigers at home

1. Play faster than Auburn

Alabama and Auburn are not only the two fastest playing teams in the Southeast Conference, but they are also two of the fastest playing teams in the nation as a whole. Both Alabama and Auburn are in the top-10 in terms of scoring in the nation.

Alabama averages 83.2 points per game, good for first in the SEC and seventh in the nation, Auburn averages 82.1 points per game, putting them in second in the SEC and 10th in the nation.

Auburn has made a name for themselves being a fast-paced team over the past several seasons and it is a large reason why they were as successful as they were during the 2018-19 season and it is no different during the 2019-20 season.

Although this is typical for Auburn, it is the exact opposite for Alabama. Alabama was ninth out of 14 teams in the SEC last season when it came to scoring and now they sit at the top. This is entirely because of new head coach, Nate Oats who has completely changed how the Crimson Tide play basketball.

Alabama is in a much better position this season with Nate Oats than they were at this exact time last season under Avery Johnson. Nate Oats has made a point of forcing Alabama to play faster and so far it has worked very well.

83.2 points per game is absurd considering they averaged 71.8 last year and because of it, the Tide is poised to make it further than they did last year.

The question is, how will they do against a quality opponent who plays fast-paced as well?

This will be Alabama’s second matchup against an opponent who is in the top-10 of scoring in the nation with the first being against Stephen F. Austin. Alabama beat the Lumberjacks 78-68 and was very effective in slowing down SFA, but can they do it against Auburn?

Auburn and Stephen F. Austin are clearly two very different teams, but the fact that Alabama could hold an SFA team who scores 83.3 points per game and was coming off a game in which they beat Duke in Durham, shows quite a bit and it could be a good sign going into Wednesday night.

Nonetheless, Wednesday’s game in Tuscaloosa, Alabama is going to be incredible to watch and I wouldn’t let the difference in record between the two teams be a reason to not tune in.