No. 1 vs. No. 1: Alabama, Auburn latest teams to play as top teams in Coaches, AP polls

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Saturday night will be historic when Alabama basketball tips off against rival Auburn.

Actually, it will mark a historic moment for the Iron Bowl in general, as for the first time in men’s basketball or football, the Iron Bowl will pit the Crimson Tide the Tigers in a matchup of the top two teams in the country: Nate Oats and Bruce Pearl’s teams are ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.

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Following losses by Auburn and Duke loss to Florida and Clemson last Saturday — coupled with Alabama’s road win over Arkansas — the Crimson Tide claimed the top spot in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll.

Despite the loss, the Tigers fell just one spot, to No. 2 overall. Either way, Saturday’s game at Coleman Coliseum will be the first time any SEC teams have faced off as the No. 1 vs. No. 2 teams in college basketball.

Even more history for the game: unofficially, it will be the fifth time two No. 1 teams face off (i.e., an AP Poll No. 1 faces off against the Coaches Poll No. 1). It has happened once in the NCAA Tournament, though Kansas and Oklahoma in January 2016 were the last teams to meet in the regular season as No. 1 teams.

In addition, this marks the sixth in-state meeting between the top two teams in the AP poll in Division I history, and the first since a 2008 game between Tennessee and Memphis. Auburn coach Bruce Pearl was the Vols’ coach that year.

All that to say: There has never been a bigger Alabama-Auburn basketball game. Here’s what you need to know about the historic matchup that will pit the No. 1 AP poll team vs. the No. 1 Coaches’ poll team:

AP No. 1 vs Coaches Poll No. 1 matchups

AP No. 1 Auburn vs. Coaches Poll No. 1 Alabama (2025)

Auburn, the No. 1 team in the AP Top 25, enters Saturday’s historic game matching its second-best 24-game start to a season in program history. The Tigers also began the 2021-22 season with a 22-2 record, while the best start in program…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/no-1-vs-no-1-121015130.html

Author : The Tuscaloosa News

Publish date : 2025-02-15 12:10:00

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