How Alabama and Auburn Basketball Compare on The Recruiting Trail

Two current Crimson Tide players were recruited by Auburn, but Nate Oats and Bruce Pearl have been securing top talent long before the matchup on Saturday.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — When it comes to the rivalry between Alabama and Auburn, there is never a shortage of storylines.

Head coach Nate Oats has a 3-3 record against Auburn; both schools have preseason All-SEC selections that have lived up to expectations; Alabama is aiming to stay perfect in conference play while a win could put Auburn back in the AP Top 25.

But another angle is how both programs have acquired top talent from the amateur ranks, and how that talent will be on display in Auburn.

"We're both in the same state, two high-major teams in Alabama," Oats said about the recruiting footprint. "Geographically, you're gonna go after a lot of the same kids. [Auburn] tended to recruit in Atlanta, we kind go all over the place."

The Tigers do have a healthy amount of players from Georgia; six players played high school ball in the neighboring state, and while K.D. Johnson played for Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia, he is an Atlanta native. But Bruce Pearl isn't shy about recruiting in other places around the country, namely in pursing two players that are currently freshmen for the Crimson Tide: Brandon Miller and Rylan Griffen.

"It was always in my head that I had the offer," Miller said. "I know [Pearl] is a great guy, so it should be a fun place to play."

Griffen added how Pearl visited him in Texas multiple times, and he could tell that the Auburn head coach had big goals to elevate the program. Instead he and Miller became a part of the fourth-best recruiting class according to Sports Illustrated. Auburn, on the other hand, had the No. 12 class, and none of those freshmen score more than 2.5 points per game.

In the grand scope of things, Pearl has had more success in recruiting top-tier talent. According to 247Sports, all five of the 5-star prospects in Auburn's history have come under Pearl's tenure:

• Mustapha Heron (2016)

• Sharife Cooper (2020)

• Jabari Smith (2021)

• Yohan Traore (2022)

• Tahaad Pettiford (2024 commit)

But Oats is right on his trail, recruiting three of Alabama's seven 5-star recruits: Miller and Jaden Bradley in 2022, and JD Davison in 2021.

The Crimson Tide does not have a 5-star recruit in 2023, but Oats has the edge in regard to the overall class with two 4-star recruits and one 3-star recruit to Auburn's lone 4-star.

The 2024 class is still in the early stages, but Auburn has a strong start with Pettiford, Peyton Marshall and Labaron Philon, the latter two who are in the recruiting footprint of both schools, and Philon considered going to Alabama before committing. 

Both schools are now on equal footing in securing top talent, and those efforts, present and future, will be on display at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN.

See also: Recruiting Rundown: How Do Oklahoma and Texas Impact SEC Recruiting?

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