The No. 12 Auburn Tigers return home to Neville Arena on Wednesday night for a matchup with the No. 16 Alabama Crimson Tide.
Auburn has won two games in a row after dropping two straight road games to Alabama and Mississippi State. Alabama has picked up four consecutive wins following its road loss to Tennessee.
What are four things to watch for during the game?
Can Auburn contain Mark Sears?
Alabama's 6-foot-1 senior guard from Muscle Shoals is having a season to remember.
Sears leads the SEC in scoring, averaging 20.1 points per game. He also averages 3.9 rebounds and assists per game and shoots 52.6% from the field.
Sears is one of the best guards Auburn will play against this season, and he hung 22 points in the last meeting between the two teams.
How will Alabama shoot on the road?
Alabama has the ability to shoot at a high level. The Crimson Tide are currently shooting 48.5% from the field, 38.2% from 3-point range and 79.1% from the free-throw line.
Auburn held Alabama to below what it averages in the last meeting, but the Crimson Tide were still too much to handle offensively.
Playing on the road in front of one of the most hostile crowds in college basketball will likely result in more misses than normal, but Alabama is still a lot to handle offensively.
Will Johni Broome continue his dominant stretch?
Johni Broome is also performing at a high level this season. He had two dominant performances last week, which earned him SEC Player of the Week honors for the first time.
Broome leads Auburn in scoring with 15.7 points per game. He also averages 8.8 rebounds and two assists per game and is currently shooting 56.3% from the field.
Broome has the ability to impact a game. He could be a difference-maker for Auburn on Wednesday.
Who will win the rebound battle?
On paper, Alabama has a slight rebounding advantage. The Crimson Tide averaged 39.5 rebounds per game to the Tigers' 39.1. This game will likely be won on the glass.
Broome's 8.8 rebounds per game make him Auburn's leader in the category. Alabama is led in the rebounding department by 6-foot-11 forward Grant Nelson who averages 5.8 per game.
Rebounds, more specifically offensive rebounds and second-chance points, will go a long way toward determining the result of this contest.
Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. CT. The television broadcast can be found on ESPN2, and the Auburn Sports Network broadcast can be streamed anywhere on the Auburn Athletics app.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email daniel.locke@1819news.com.
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