Full-Court Press: Takeaways from Alabama Basketball at Auburn

Blake Byler's thoughts and takeaways from Alabama's rivalry win over the Tigers.

The Iron Bowl of Basketball has slowly become one of the best rivalries in the sport thanks to Nate Oats and Bruce Pearl's revival of their respective programs, and Saturday's game was no different.

In No. 3 Alabama basketball's 77-69 win over Auburn, the game featured everything you could ask for from a rivalry game from highlight plays, to an electric home crowd, to a little bit of taunting from both sides.

Here are some of my thoughts from the game:

1. Charles Bediako once again stood tall against stellar competition.

In Alabama's blowout loss to Oklahoma on Jan. 28, Bediako posted a season-low eight minutes, and chatter arose from the Alabama fanbase about him losing his minutes to Nick Pringle.

Since that game, Bediako has completely leveled up his play. His point totals on box scores don't necessarily show it, but he has looked stronger, more mobile, and given more effort than ever in his last four games.

Against Auburn, his mobility was on full display early when he jumped a pass on the perimeter like a guard that lead to a runout flush in transition, and followed it up later with a spin move at the top of the key that we haven't seen from him since one of the overtimes against North Carolina.

As a finisher inside, Bediako has improved tremendously on his ability to catch and throw down lobs on pick-and-rolls, which has made him a very dangerous threat to opposing defenses. He also has impeccable vision for a center, and displayed it early in Neville Arena with two dishes to Nimari Burnett when the defense collapsed on him, resulting in a dunk and an open three.

Perhaps his most impressive feat on Saturday, though, was his defensive effort against Auburn big man Johni Broome. Broome has been one of the best bigs in the SEC this year, averaging 13.5 points and nine rebounds a game. On Saturday he had just eight points on 3-for-11 shooting from the field, being unable to connect on his looks with Bediako towering over him.

Bediako has done it before against reigning National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe, and now against Broome he is proving that he can play with, and even outplay the country's best.

2. Alabama placed an emphasis on interior scoring, and it worked.

Oats-coached Alabama teams are known for their 3-point shooting, and rightfully so, as they typically have some of the highest volumes of 3-pointers attempted in the country.

The Crimson Tide took its fair share of threes against Auburn, but the game was won for Alabama on the interior with a stunning display of finishing around the rim. 

From the opening tip, Alabama attacked the paint strong and hard with the intent to score. The game was physical, but Alabama welcomed it. Burnett and Rylan Griffen both drove and finished with slams in the early minutes, and every time Mark Sears and Jaden Bradley got going downhill they were looking to get to the rim. 

That's a bold strategy too, going up against two of the top-5 shot blockers in the SEC in Broome and Dylan Cardwell, but Alabama made it work to the tune of an extraordinary 23-for-28 finishing rate around the rim for the game. 

Bradley, who has most certainly broken through his "freshman wall", scored 12 points in the game with five field goals coming at the rim on seemingly impossible twisting and reverse layups. Sears exploded with a burst of speed every time he touched the ball, and cleared the way himself for a few wide-open finishes thanks to the Tiger defense not being able to keep up.

Eventually, Alabama got its fair share of threes to fall, but once again this team has proved it can beat you in a variety of ways that don't have to include hoisting 40 3-point attempts.

3. Another grueling environment, another win.

Houston. Mississippi State. Arkansas. Missouri. Auburn. 

Those are a few of the sold-out crowds and raucous arenas Alabama has had to travel to this season. Some of those arenas are always bursting at the seams with energy, while some showed out to support their team facing a top-5 opponent.

Nevertheless, Alabama won again, and again, and again.

Neville Arena is one of the toughest places to play in all of college basketball. The Jungle, Auburn's student section, is deafening and rowdy, and the energy is so high that for opposing teams a 4-point deficit can feel like 10 or 12.

But Alabama strolled in with a lineup full of freshmen and newcomers and walked away with a win.

When Auburn took a 35-29 lead late in the first half, most teams would crumble and let the Tigers push that lead to double digits by halftime as Auburn fed off the energy in the building. Instead, Alabama battled back and tied the game by the time the first half clock hit 0:00.

In the second half, Auburn took a 57-52 lead with just under 10 minutes remaining and had Neville Arena booming with roars that shook the rails of the standing-room only sections. What did Alabama do? It kept its composure, never wavering and staying consistent with its efforts to claw back and eventually win the game.

Once again, Alabama put on a masterful defensive display in the final minutes, allowing just five points in the final 5:00 of the game. This team has a knack for digging its heels in and willing its way to stops on the defensive end when it matters most. To do it on this stage, in this rivalry, in this arena, Alabama keeps showing it can do it against any team in America.

4. Rylan Griffen has star potential.

This series has almost become Griffen propaganda at this point, but I can't say enough about him and how he plays every night out.

He brings Oats' highly-coveted blue-collar mentality, a shooting stroke that keeps getting better and better, and fearlessness that rivals that of any player in college basketball.

Griffen led Alabama with 16 points in just 20 minutes on Saturday, shooting 71 percent from the floor and 3-of-5 from downtown. He was also as up to the task as anyone of guarding star Auburn point guard Wendell Green. 

Even on the road in hostile environments, Griffen hasn't been affected by the noise, or the moment. He never fears stepping up when his number is called, but is a good enough teammate to cheer on his brothers when it's his turn on the bench.

He's only a freshman, but we're seeing glimpses now of what will be a major piece of Alabama basketball as Oats continues to build a monster in Tuscaloosa.

5. A few more things...

• Alabama's 22-3 record ties the best start through 25 games in program history. No matter how this season ends, it has been historic. 

•  Alabama overcame a terrible 3-point shooting night from Brandon Miller (0-for-7) and a horrific performance from the free throw line (56 percent). Both of those happening in the same game again seems incredibly unlikely.

See also:

With Win Over Auburn, Nate Oats' Commitment was on Full Display

No. 3 Alabama Silences Raucous Neville Arena for Just Third Time in 11 Years

Alabama Escapes Auburn with 77-69 Win, Stays Undefeated in SEC Play