aubiefifty

Guests include Mickey Dean, Steven Pearl, & Carter Sobera

al.com Auburn receives $50 million payout in SEC distribution for 2023 fiscal year Updated: Feb. 08, 2024, 2:47 p.m.|Published: Feb. 08, 2024, 2:45 p.m. 2–3 minutes Auburn received a $50,160,177 payout from the SEC in its annual revenue distribution from the league, according to Auburn revenue records provided to AL.com in a records request and a press release from the SEC. The payout comes from the SEC’s total $741 million in revenue distribution for the 2022-23 fiscal year, averaging out to $51.3 million per school. Those payouts come from media rights deals, bowl games, the College Football Playoff, the SEC Football Championship Game, the SEC Men’s Basketball Tournament, NCAA Championships and a supplemental surplus distribution. “The distribution amount does not include an additional $8.1 million of NCAA and SEC grants divided among the fourteen member universities,” according to the SEC’s press release. Auburn’s payout is divided up into $48,001,566 from media deals and an additional $2,158,611 from the league office. Auburn did not make any money in bowl revenue for the 2022-23 after not playing in a bowl game following the 2022 season. The $741 million in total revenue distribution was an increase from the SEC compared to the $721.8 million in the previous fiscal year, but Auburn received less in its total payouts. In the 2021-22 fiscal year, Auburn received $51,506,110 in media rights deals and $3,699,903 in additional revenue from the league office. Auburn also received $1,602,507 in bowl revenue from its 2021 Birmingham Bowl appearance. Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

al.com Bo Jackson awarded $21 million in extortion case Published: Feb. 08, 2024, 11:33 a.m. 5–6 minutes Sports Bo Jackson wins extortion case against relatives, awarded $21 million Bo Jackson is shown with his Georgia-based attorneys David Conley, left, and Robert Ingram. (Photo courtesy of David Conley/Moore Ingram Johnson & Steele, LLP).Submitted By Creg Stephenson | cstephenson@al.com Bo Jackson was awarded $21 million by an Atlanta-area court last week in a civil suit accusing his niece and nephew of extortion. The 61-year-old Jackson, who grew up in Bessemer and played football and baseball at Auburn before becoming one of the most-recognizable athletes in the world, had filed a complaint in April against siblings Thomas Lee Anderson and Erica M. Anderson — who are his niece and nephew — accusing them of “relentless harassment and intimidation.” On Feb. 2, a Cobb County judge found for Jackson and granted him a permanent protective order against the Andersons in addition to the financial award. According to the protective order, the Andersons are barred from contacting Jackson or his immediate family and must stay at least 500 yards away from the Jacksons or their homes, schools and workplaces. They are also prohibited from posting about Bo Jackson via social media and must remove all social media content referencing him. Jackson was awarded a little more than $1 million in compensatory damages and to offset attorneys’ fees, with $20 million tacked on as punitive damages. “Defendants have acted with malice, wantonness, oppression, with a conscious effort of indifference to circumstances and with the specific intent to cause Plaintiff harm,” Cobb County judge Jason Marbutt wrote in his ruling. According to the lawsuit filed by Jackson through his Marietta, Ga., attorneys, the Andersons — one of whom lives in Cobb County and the other in Texas — attempted to extort $20 million from Jackson in exchange for not publicly disclosing information that would cast him “in a false light” and cause “severe emotional distress.” In addition to his earnings as a professional baseball and football player in the 1980s and 1990s, Jackson was also a well-compensated pitchman for Nike and other companies and has also operated a number of successful businesses over the years. Jackson sought a stalking protective order against the Andersons, who threatened to disrupt an April charity event in addition to posting potentially damaging claims via social media. According to the lawsuit, Jackson feared for his safety and for that of his family. Marbutt found for Jackson in a default judgment after the Andersons failed to appear in court on Jan. 31 to contest a temporary protective order the judge had issued last May. Because they failed to rebut Jackson’s allegations in court, Marbutt ruled they had accepted the claims as true. “Unfortunately for those attempting to extort $20 million dollars from Jackson and his family, Bo still hits back hard,” Jackson attorneys from the firm Moore Ingram Johnson and Steele said in a Feb. 5 press release about the case. This is not the first time Jackson has successfully gone to court over threats to his reputation. In 2005, he sued the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin of California for defamation after the newspaper’s sports editor quoted a dietary specialist saying that the serious hip injury Jackson suffered in a 1991 NFL playoff game (which ended his football career) was the result of anabolic steroid use. The paper later retracted its story and issued a public apology to Jackson. The 1985 Heisman Trophy winner at Auburn and the 1989 MLB All-Star Game Most Valuable Player with the Kansas City Royals in addition to being a Pro Bowl running back with the Los Angeles Raiders, Jackson now makes his permanent home in the Chicago area. He still appears each year at various events in his home state, including for football games at Auburn, at the Region’s Tradition golf tournament in Birmingham each May and for his annual “Bo Bikes Bama” charity cycling event through east Alabama in the spring. News of the Jackson lawsuit and the judge’s ruling was first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

al.com Auburn DL commit Antonio Coleman updates status following Alabama visit Updated: Feb. 08, 2024, 4:01 p.m.|Published: Feb. 08, 2024, 1:18 p.m. 3–4 minutes Saraland's Antonio Coleman warms up for the prep football playoff game against Hillcrest-Tuscaloosa on Friday, Nov. 24, 2023, in Saraland, Ala. Coleman, an Auburn commit, visited Alabama over the weekend. (Mike Kittrell | preps@al.com) Mike Kittrell | preps@al.com Saraland All-State defensive lineman Antonio Coleman is still committed to Auburn, but he admits Iron Bowl rival Alabama is not out of the picture. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound junior visited Tuscaloosa last weekend for the first time with new coach Kalen DeBoer at the helm and liked what he saw and heard. “Kalen DeBoer is a great coach,” he said. “I like that he wants to win and make sure all his players are good. Coach (Freddie) Roach is like a father figure. He wants the best for you rather you are there or not. The overall visit was great.” Coleman originally committed to Nick Saban and Alabama in September but flipped his commitment to Auburn three days before Christmas. It appears now it could continue to be a battle between the two Iron Bowl rivals. “I’m definitely 100 percent still with Auburn, but Alabama is not yet left out,” he said on Wednesday. “They are still a school I committed to, and they are still in my mind, but right now it’s definitely War Eagle.” Coleman said he likes the Auburn staff and especially head coach Hugh Freeze’s honesty. “What sticks out to me about coach Freeze is when he talks, he means business,” he said. “He is going to tell you the truth whether you like it or don’t like it.” Coleman also mentioned USC and Miami as possibly being in his top five and said he would like to visit both. In helping Saraland to its second straight Class 6A final in 2023, he finished the season with 62 total tackles, 22.5 tackles for a loss and 10 sacks. He said he still has some areas to work on in the offseason. “I want to work on pad level, definitely my ball get off and footwork around the quarterback and just being an overall leader,” he said. “I feel like there is always room to get better at something.” Coleman is one of four top in-state juniors already committed to Auburn. The others are Highland Home EDGE Jakaleb Faulk, Parker DL Jourdin Crawford and Opelika DL Malik Autry. Coleman, by the way, is not related to the current Williamson head coach and former Auburn star that shares his name.

theplainsman.com Auburn hires Vontrell King-Williams as new defensive tackles coach 2–3 minutes With the recent departure of Jeremy Garrett to the NFL as the Jacksonville Jaguars defensive line coach, Vontrell King-Williams will take over defensive tackles duties heading into the 2024 season, according to multiple reports. The news was first reported by Brian Stultz of Rivals. King-Williams is considered a young up-and-comer in the coaching ranks. He got his career started as a defensive line intern in 2017 at UTSA, where he had a short stint as a player. He then moved on to Eastern Michigan for the 2018-19 seasons as a defensive graduate assistant. King-Williams spent time under Hugh Freeze for the 2020-21 seasons before moving back to Eastern Michigan to take over as defensive line coach in 2022. Becoming a part of Auburn’s off-field staff in 2023 as an assistant defensive line coach, much of his time was spent assisting Garrett in coaching and recruiting. Now, he will take full control. Per reports, King-Williams will coach defensive tackles while Josh Aldridge moves to EDGE coach and defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin coaches linebackers. With the hire, Freeze has completed his staff with three weeks until spring practice gets underway. Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman. Logan Fowler | Sports Writer Logan Fowler is a junior from Sumiton, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in Spring 2024. Share and discuss “Auburn hires Vontrell King-Williams as new defensive tackles coach” on social media.

si.com Auburn quarterback talks about the dynamic in the quarterback room Andrew Stefaniak ~2 minutes Auburn fans wanted the Tigers to go get a quarterback in the transfer portal, but Hugh Freeze stuck with what he has on the roster. Quarterback play was questionable last season, and with one role player from last year deciding to transfer the room aside from one player is young and inexperienced. The way Coach Freeze has talked to the media, it seems like every quarterback on the roster will get a fair shot to win the job. Many assume Payton Thorne will win the job as he is the experienced veteran, but Hank Brown, Holden Geriner, and Walker White will all have a chance to win the starting role. Brown joined the Locked On Auburn Podcast, and host Zac Blackerby asked him about the dynamic in the quarterback room. Brown had this to say, "I love the quarterback room. We're all super close. And adding Walker to that is, you know, awesome. You know, he's a great guy. And so, you know, all of us together, I think we've grown and got a lot closer throughout the past year being together. And so, you know, I just, I couldn't say enough good things about it. We're super close, and we're just excited to compete against each other and grow together." It will be a battle to see who wins this job, but all four of these names discussed have a real shot to win it. The betting odds would favor Thorne in this race, but it would surprise no one to see one of the young guys win.

247sports.com Marcus Harris Auburn got a good one in new DL coach Vontrell KingWilliams Jason Caldwell ~3 minutes AUBURN, Alabama—Auburn defensive lineman and future NFL player Marcus Harrisknew exactly where he hoped Hugh Freeze would turn when he heard the news that coach Jeremy Garrett was moving on to the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars to coach the defensive line. Working alongside Vontrell King-Williams since he came to Auburn to coach with Garrett after a year at Eastern Michigan, Harris said it was a no-brainer in his mind to see him take that next step. “I was saying to myself, ‘if I was coach Freeze that’s what I would do,’” Harris said. “I knew coach Freeze was going to do that. Just seeing how he brought coach JG from Liberty with him here and gave him a chance, I knew coach Freeze saw how hard coach Vontrell worked and how good of a person he is. And how hard he works in recruiting. “That man works hard in recruiting. A lot of the players we’ve got are due to both coach Vontrell and coach Garrett. Coach Vontrell has been a vital part of everything. I’m happy that he finally got his chance.” While King-Williams was limited in what he could do in terms of coaching the defensive line last season, Harris said it was enough to show him that Auburn has hired a difference maker for the position and a guy that is hungry to do a great job. “He’s always the same,” Harris said. “He never changes up. He’s always him. He would meet with us extra in the classroom trying to build us up. He was acting like he was the defensive line coach even though coach Garrett was at the time. They had that relationship where it was like we had two defensive line coaches. \ “A lot of times he couldn’t really put hands on us (in terms of on-field coaching) but the times he was around us he gave us so much knowledge and so much confidence that we could play at that level. He never changes. His energy is so contagious. A lot of days players came in sad and he would pick everybody up. I can’t wait to see how he does.” Preparing for the NFL Combine following a strong week in Mobile for the Senior Bowl, Harris said he’s pumped to see how his younger brother Malik Blocton and the rest of Auburn’s defensive line grows under their new coach. “It made me so happy I almost shed a tear just knowing his story and knowing how hard he works,” Harris said. “He doesn’t want any credit for the work he does. He does it out of the genuine goodness of his heart. Coach is a good one. “The way he loves his players and treats his players, he’s hard on them but at the same time he lets them know that he loves them. He’s always working extra. I can’t wait to see him prosper.”

for the record i did not give nate a dang thing.............

i checked on ebay for you and could find nothing.

you sure made me a believer!

i am rewatching the game and the commentators said over 800 kids camped to get in. how awesome is that?

kind of like me with the aufam board........grins

Nick Saban announces next step with ESPN, will appear on College GameDay Updated: Feb. 07, 2024, 4:44 p.m.|Published: Feb. 07, 2024, 3:59 p.m. 4–5 minutes Nick Saban on set. Alabama and Texas fans swarm Tuscaloosa to watch ESPN "College GameDay" and "SEC Nation" before kickoff on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. (Ben Flanagan / AL.com) By Nick Alvarez | nalvarez@al.com After a career of warning against ‘rat poison’, Nick Saban has decided to begin offering some himself. The former Alabama head coach will join ESPN as a media analyst. The network announced Saban will be a part of its NFL Draft coverage and make an appearance at this summer’s Southeastern Conference Media Days in Dallas. Most notably, Saban will make his long-rumored transition to the “College GameDay” desk. “ESPN and ‘College GameDay’ have played such an important role in the growth of college football, and I’m honored to have the opportunity to join their team. I’ll do my best to offer additional insights and perspectives to contribute to College GameDay, the ultimate Saturday tradition for college football fans,” Saban said in a release issued Wednesday. Saban and ESPN expanded their partnership last season ahead of the network owning the SEC broadcast rights in 2024. Saban had a weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” which ESPN recently bought the rights to air. Saban reportedly earned seven figures for his 15-to-20-minute interviews. Saban will now join some of the sport’s preeminent broadcasters, from Lee Corso to Kirk Herbstreit and more. Saban retired Jan. 10 after a 17-year run with the Crimson Tide. He won six national championships. Though Saban’s first assignment has yet to be released, he’ll likely get a chance to comment on some members of his final team through the draft process. Dallas Turner, Terrion Arnold, Kool-Aid McKinstry and JC Latham are all potential first-round selections. “Nick Saban is a singular, iconic presence in college football,” said ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro, per the release. “He is also an extremely gifted communicator, who will immediately add even more credibility, authority and entertainment value to ESPN, including our esteemed ‘College GameDay’ show.” Last season’s GameDay also welcomed McAfee as a marquee personality. Per the network, ‘GameDay’ is coming off its fourth-most viewed season in the show’s 37-year run. Since Saban ended his on-field career one month ago, ESPN’s Rece Davis has been the lone media member to interview the legendary coach. The pair joked at a potential future in television together. Front Office Sports then reported that ESPN viewed Saban as the “perfect” replacement for Corso, who will turn 89-years-old in August. “I’m going to keep working. I don’t want to get up and watch Netflix. I want to do something. I have some businesses, maybe there’s some other opportunities out there for me somewhere. ... I’m looking for challenges. We have businesses, we have lots of things,” Saban told Davis at the time. . Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com.

al.com How Auburn’s Johni Broome expanded his game into an SEC Player of the Year contender Published: Feb. 08, 2024, 6:31 a.m. 5–6 minutes At every Auburn practice, Johni Broome shoots as if he were a guard. He takes silly trick shots before practice with Aden Holloway and Tre Donaldson, two of Auburn’s best 3-point shooters and occasionally, he makes them. In every practice, Auburn runs a 3-point shooting drill where teammates pair up and shoot from each spot around the arc. Frequently, Broome is paired with a true shooter to go through the drill. It’s all in a promise he’s pursued to expand his game after he pursued the NBA last summer. He knew he’d have to improve his shooting — from the perimeter and the free throw line — to be considered at the professional level. “Working out with guys like Aden, Tre and KD, Denver,” Broome said. “Guys like that who shoot the ball really well. Just building confidence. Shooting with those guys, I maybe win once, it’s all fun and games. I missed three today, but it all felt good. You see my teammates and coaches, they don’t mind me shooting them because they’re confident in me, as I am in myself. That’s a good thing, especially when you see one go in. It helps my team win.” And over the last six games, Broome and Auburn (19-4, 8-2) are beginning to see the payoff. He’s made a 3-pointer in six consecutive games. That includes making one as part of a 24-point performance in a 99-81 win over Alabama on Wednesday. And he’s quickly seen his stock rise into the SEC Player of the Year conversation. “At the beginning of the year, I did talk about the fact that I thought we had a pretty good front line,” Pearl said. “Probably, if you looked me up, I’d say we had one of the best front lines in our league. I think I said that. Then you get a lot of talk about it. I think Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome could get some discussions about frontlines in the country right now.” Broome is averaging more than 17 points per game over his last six games. Broome knew he had a size advantage in both matchups against Alabama, and took advantage on the interior. He’s scored 49 total points in the two games. Broome is now averaging taking 1.9 3-pointers per game, a whole attempt more than he had last season. Broome may not make them consistently — though he has made seven of 14 3-pointers over the last six games in what is by far the most prolific 3-point shooting stretch of his career But what he’s done — especially Wednesday against the Crimson Tide — to add to his game that gives him more options to score, and in turn fewer ways to guard him. He made only 56% of his free throws last year, and he’s up above 62% so far this year. Over the last six games, he’s made 16 of 20 free throws. When Alabama continually fouled him and Williams on the interior, he responded on maybe the biggest stage of this season to make 9-11 free throws including 6-8 in the second half. “Well I think the thing with Johni, again, it’s the inside-out deal,” Pearl said. “He’s a monster with his back to the basket. He just knows how to use his body. You get it in there behind him, and it’s a bucket or a foul, in a lot of ways. But then he also is such a good passer and likes the ball in his hands. And, I mean, he works — he shoots like our guards shoot in every practice and after practice. So I have great confidence in him being able to shoot the ball, and I think again, 9-for-10 from the foul line. Not trying to jinx it because we talked about it last time, but he was a 55-percent free-throw shooter last year. In conference play, he’s in the 90s.” The evolution Pearl has seen in Broome’s game is why the fourth-year center finally won his first SEC Player of the Week honor this week. Broome has been named to several watch lists including for the Wooden Award late season top 20 and the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year. KenPom, which has a statistical rating for national player of the year candidates, rates Broome as the second-leading contender for the award behind Purdue’s Zach Edey. Of three SEC players in KenPom’s top 10, Broome is first. Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht is second and Alabama’s Mark Sears is third. Nationally, Broome doesn’t get the same recognition as Knecht or Broome because he doesn’t put up the same high point totals every game those players do. Yet Broome’s contributions have been more consistent and far-reaching in the best season of his college career. He’s increased his production in several categories compared to his first year at Auburn including points per game, rebounds per game, assists per game, blocks per game and steals per game. “That tells you how hard he’s worked at it, how much he cares,” Pearl said. “And again, he understands the Auburn family. I mean, this game’s personal. This is personal. This game matters.” Matt Cohen covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @Matt_Cohen_ or email him at mcohen@al.com

al.com 3 takeaways from Alabama basketball’s blowout road loss at Auburn Updated: Feb. 07, 2024, 10:30 p.m.|Published: Feb. 07, 2024, 10:22 p.m. 4–5 minutes Alabama takes the court at Auburn as tipoff nears Alabama men’s basketball took a tough SEC loss Wednesday at Auburn, falling 99-81 to the Tigers, in a game the Crimson Tide Tide rarely seemed awake in. UA fell to 16-7 on the season with the loss. The Tide will face LSU on the road Saturday. Before that, here are three takeaways from the rivalry loss. No separation The past two seasons, a single team has swept the Iron Bowl of Basketball. That streak ended Wednesday. The Tigers earned revenge for their January Coleman Coliseum loss on their home floor. The loss hurt the Crimson Tide in its effort to win the SEC regular-season title. Entering the game, Alabama had a lead, mostly stemming from its win against the Tigers. “It was for first place, they came out and played like it was for first place,” Oats said of Auburn. The Auburn win created a tie at the top of the table. The Tide and Tigers, along with South Carolina, are all 8-2, and Tennessee is 7-2. Alabama faces LSU in Baton Rouge next, before facing Texas A&M and Florida at home. “We could have separated ourselves a little bit and we didn’t,” Oats said. Trouble in the paint When Auburn went inside, the Crimson Tide had a hard time putting up much resistance. Throughout the game, Alabama simply had no counter for Tiger big man Johni Broome. UA doesn’t have a dominant presence in the paint this season. Nick Pringle returned from suspension, but he couldn’t do much against Broome. Auburn ended the game with 40 points in the paint, compared to Alabama’s 26. Broome finished the game with 22 points and seven rebounds, and Auburn forward Jaylin Williams had 26 and six.. Guarding big, strong frontcourts has been an issue all year for the Tide. Oats pointed to the Crimson Tide’s previous game against Mississippi State’s Tolu Smith as the lone bright spot so far. “That’s probably the one game I can remember off the top of my head where we played a legitimate post-up big and did a decent job on him,” Oats said. “Other than that, we haven’t. We’ve tried to double at times and different doubles, we give up threes. It’s an issue, we gotta be better inside.” The Tide got outrebounded 42-35. Auburn was able to pick up 24 second-chance points. Turnover issues Alabama had a major ball security issue throughout the loss. The Crimson Tide committed 15 turnovers throughout the game. 13 of those were steals by Auburn. “A lot of the effort stats that you look at, rebounds, turnovers, they were better than us,” Oats said. The Tigers were ready to capitalize. Auburn ended the game scoring 22 points off of turnovers. On a night when it struggled to do much defensively, Alabama couldn’t afford to give away possessions. The Crimson Tide got outplayed in all facets of the game, but too many of the problems were of its own creation. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

al.com After win over Alabama, Auburn’s Jaylin Williams sure has a story to tell Published: Feb. 08, 2024, 6:00 a.m. 4–5 minutes Auburn fifth-year senior Jaylin Williams wanted Wednesday night’s game against Alabama to be one he could proudly tell his kids about years from now. “In, like, 20 years, you can say, ‘I beat them my last year,’” Williams said of the Crimson Tide the Tuesday heading into the Alabama-Auburn rematch. “That would be pretty cool to tell my kids some day.” For Williams, who coming into Wednesday night’s matchup had lost his last three times out against Alabama, a win against “that team up north” was all he was looking for. That was the only story Williams was hoping to be able to tell 20 years from now — anything else was extra. And against the Crimson Tide Wednesday night, the extras just kept coming and coming, adding to Williams’ future story. Now, when story time finally rolls around, Williams will have to ask himself where he wants to start, because he’s got lots of options. If he wants to, Williams can have his story start before tipoff, when he was recognized for his 1,000th career point in front of a rowdy home crowd. Williams scored his 1,000th career point way back in December with a 20-point effort against Alabama State. Why Auburn waited until Feb. 7 to recognize him? Who knows. But for the sake of the argument, let’s just say it was something that needed to be included in his story. But if Williams didn’t want to start there, his story could pick up just before halftime of Wednesday night’s game with Auburn ahead 53-41 with just over 33 seconds to play in the first half. After an Alabama miss, Auburn sophomore Tre Donaldson collected the rebound and quickly pushed the ball down the floor with a pass to Williams, who slammed home a windmill dunk to stretch Auburn’s lead out to 14. “I think I almost broke my wrist,” Williams joked after the game. Immediately following Williams’ dunk, which induced one of the loudest Neville Arena eruptions this season, Alabama head coach Nate Oaks was forced to call a timeout in hopes of stopping some of the bleeding. Meanwhile, as the lights dimmed, Williams was quickly greeted by his teammates, who couldn’t believe the jam they just witnessed. “I’m jealous,” Auburn junior center Johni Broome said after the game. “Listen, we talk about windmills all the time. I just learned how to windmill this year from him. I always want to get an in-game windmill.” So when Williams tells the story of Feb. 7, 2024, he could start there — at the dunk that left his teammates green with envy. Or, if he wanted to, Williams could fast forward to late in the second half. The back half of Wednesday’s game wasn’t as exciting as the first. Instead of windmill dunks, there were a lot of free throws. Auburn attempted 34 free throws in the second half with Williams stepping to the line to try for eight from the charity stripe. In the second half, Williams went 7-for-8 from the free throw line, bringing his night total to 9-for-10. When Williams stepped to the line for the final time with just more than five minutes to play, he did so after having logged 24 points on the night, tying his career high, which came against Ole Miss on Jan. 6, 2021. One make — let alone two makes — would give Williams a new career high. And two makes it was, giving Williams a 26-point night. “I knew going into the game that (Nick) Pringle wasn’t 100% and some of those guys weren’t 100%. So I knew they were going to play smaller,” Williams said when asked about his big night. “It was just going in, I just I had to be patient, be more aggressive inside.” And all together, with the pregame presentation, the first half windmill dunk, the new career high and the massive rivalry win at home — Williams has himself a pretty dang good story. How he’ll start it? Well, that’s up to him. If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

al.com No. 16 Alabama reminded of what it's missing in blowout loss at No. 12 Auburn Updated: Feb. 08, 2024, 5:39 a.m.|Published: Feb. 08, 2024, 5:28 a.m. 5–7 minutes Sitting courtside, one of the toughest players to ever play basketball noticed what Alabama lacked. During the highly-anticipated rematch between the Tide and Auburn, Tigers legend Charles Barkley gave a quick interview on the ESPN broadcast. Barkley assumed AU star Johni Broome would have a big night, just like he would if he faced “all these little skinny dudes.” The Tigers legend was blunt. Not only did his prediction come true, but Barkley’s sound bite neatly summarized the limitations Alabama has battled all season and succumbed to once again at Neville Arena. Similar to its loss at Tennesse on Jan. 20, Alabama was outmatched against an elite Southeastern Conference opponent. This one came after 50 points combined from Johni Broome and Jaylin Williams, the latter shining for a career-high 26 points off just one three-pointer. The No. 12 Tigers (19-4, 8-2 Southeastern Conference) outmuscled the Tide 40-to-26 in points in the paint and 24-to-12 in second-chance points. On blue-collar points — the Nate Oats-branded measure of hustle — Alabama was outpaced by 25 points. The result, a 99-81 final in Neville Arena, wiped away the goodwill of a four-game winning streak and sent No. 16 UA (16-7, 8-2) into a four-way tie in the loss column with the Volunteers and South Carolina. The good news? Alabama has a home against Tennessee and a month to correct its interior woes before the postseason. The bad news? Road trips to Kentucky, Ole Miss and Florida can only deepen the gash. On this night, UA got another reminder of how badly its missing Charles Bediako, who opted for the pros following last season. Auburn forward Johni Broome reacts after a basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against the Alabama, Wednesday, Feb. 7, 2024, in Auburn, Ala. (AP Photo/ Butch Dill)AP “We didn’t want to double (Broome) cause I saw other teams that doubled gave up a bunch of 3s to him,” UA head coach Nate Oats said postgame. “In hindsight, as bad as we lost, maybe we should’ve doubled more and tried to rotate around. “They’re both good. They’re two of the better, they may have the best frontcourt, when you look at a four and a five, in the league. We didn’t do a very good job of it. Part of its we started small and they punished us. We need to have a better answer for it we continue to start small like that.” Postgame, Oats brought up the gauntlet of bigs it struggled with all year: Zach Edey and Purdue; Oumar Ballo with Arizona; Ryan Kalkbrenner’s Creighton. The recipe has been the same, teams flood the paint and try to get Alabama into foul trouble. Oats noted that aside from a road effort against Tolu Smith and Mississippi State, Alabama hasn’t found a suitable answer. On Wednesday, Alabama went with a smaller lineup with Rylan Griffen at the four and Grant Nelson at the five. Auburn scored 12 points in the paint in the first eight minutes of action. Though an emerging Mouhamed Dioubate helped a little, Auburn had the depth and forced enough turnovers to keep punishing Alabama for it and handle a 19-4 run. “Did not anticipate Griffen starting at the four,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said, understanding the strategy. “... The only thing we could do then is just pound it inside. “Offensively, it makes them better. I mean, offensively, the more shooters and skill players you got, so it made Alabama a tougher cover when they went small. But they’re not better defensively when they’re small.” The highlight of the first half came on an alley-oop feed from Broome to Williams when Broome already established position inside. In his news conference, Broome referred to an Alabama post defender as a “little shrimp” before quickly retracting it. 3 takeaways from Alabama basketball’s blowout road loss at Auburn Rewinding No. 12 Auburn’s 99-81 rout over No. 16 Alabama at Neville Arena Why Nate Oats had to ‘shuffle’ Alabama’s coaching staff ahead of SEC play Alabama basketball’s Nick Pringle will be available against Auburn after suspension Auburn’s 40 free throws set a single-game school record. The Tigers attempted 50 from the line as the teams combined for 63 fouls. Grant Nelson and Aaron Estrada fouled out with a couple of minutes remaining. Dioubate, Griffen, Sam Walter and Latrell Wrightsell Jr. finished with four infractions apiece. “We gotta be more disciplined. Some of them were just bad fouls. We need to stay in front of the ball better,” Oats said. " ... Some of our guys aren’t even following scouting report stuff. Like, we tell you what the guy’s gonna do and they do exactly what we tell you we’re gonna do and we don’t do a very good job guarding it. There are multiple reasons. Some of it is effort.” Each foul called allowed Auburn to maintain its double-digit lead amid a 6-plus minute field-goal drought. The calls also started to visibly frustrate the Tide before it boarded a bus ride back to Tuscaloosa rife with questions. Nick Alvarez is a reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @nick_a_alvarez or email him at NAlvarez@al.com.

al.com Casagrande: Auburn rout of Alabama taught us a lot Updated: Feb. 07, 2024, 10:56 p.m.|Published: Feb. 07, 2024, 10:28 p.m. 5–6 minutes Auburn fans sing reverse Rammer Jammer after the Tigers beat Alabama 99-81 at Neville Arena By Michael Casagrande | mcasagrande@al.com This is an opinion column. Johni Broome had just scored his 18th point when the Auburn forward made the gesture. The 6-foot-10 junior leaned over; palm parallel to the hardwood. Too small, was the message after Auburn bullied its way to what was an 18-point lead over Alabama in what became a 99-81 blowout of their in-state rivals Wednesday night. Too small. And frankly, too soft. Auburn outworked and out-muscled its guests in a game Bruce Pearl said they needed to remain in the SEC regular-season hunt. Auburn outdid Alabama on the Tide’s blue-collar metric, 96.5 to 71.5. That’s Alabama’s third-lowest output in the effort index recorded less than a week after its by-far season high of 118.5 in a win over Mississippi State. Bad. “We didn’t play hard enough,” Nate Oats said. True. Hard hats didn’t make the trip south as Auburn big-boy’d their way to retribution for the 79-75 loss two weeks earlier in Tuscaloosa. It ended a three-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide. The traditional stat sheet explained the genesis of Alabama’s blue-collar blues. First, the points in the paint. Auburn won that, 40-26 with Broome (24 points), Jaylin Williams (26 points) and Company building the lead inside. That disparity would have been higher if not for all the fouls. Alabama was whistled for a season-high 33, leading to Auburn making 40 of 50 free throws. That includes 9-for-11 from the line for the improved shooting Broome. Casagrande: Alabama-Auburn hoops rivalry approaches defining moment Casagrande: Don’t take Rickwood Field for granted, Birmingham Casagrande: Tennessee declares war on NCAA The 50 attempts were a season-high by a margin of 14 after trying 36 apiece against Alabama A&M and Virginia Tech. It tried just 18 two weeks ago in Tuscaloosa. “A team who plays harder fouls less,” Oats said, “because they’re in position.” Then there were the turnovers. Auburn had just five to Alabama’s 15 -- of which, 13 were Auburn steals. Those high-effort moments led to a 22-10 edge in points off turnovers. And the blocks. Auburn finished with a 12-5 edge there. It was still a game until the closing segment of the first half when Auburn closed on a 16-2 run after the final TV timeout. Alabama managed just three shots in that span and missed all three. And that was when the walls of Neville Arena closed in on the Crimson Tide, just as it has all 11 previous visitors this season. The Tigers haven’t lost here since Alabama claimed a rare 77-69 victory last year. Broome and Williams had a lot to do with Wednesday’s result. Not a week after Pearl called Broome “the baddest boy on the block,” Auburn’s physical edge over Alabama was on full display. Charles Barkley saw it. “Alabama’s got all these little skinny dudes out there,” Barkley said on the ESPN2 broadcast. “Coach Oats does a fantastic job. When I was looking at the game early, I said, ‘Man, Broome should have a big night’ because Alabama, their guards are terrific, but they have no size inside.” He did. And Broome didn’t deny that after the game. Recounting the moment he threw a no-look pass to Williams, the big man was a little more honest than he intended. “I was going to go iso, but I saw Jaylin had a little shrimp on him,” Broome said, realizing what he said. “Oh, I’m sorry. Listen, though. He had a guard on him -- he had a guard, he had a guard. He was just pointing up. I just picked up my shoulder and threw it up to him. I know he’s a high-flyer so I know he’s going to get it. I did not mean to say that.” Woof. But was he wrong? Oats noted the lack of fight after Auburn took the big lead late in the first half. That wasn’t the Alabama team that won 10 of its last 11, more like the one that took a 91-71 beating at Tennessee as the lone SEC setback to that point. So, bottom line, Auburn appeared to be back in its groove after dropping consecutive road games two weeks ago. Alabama, though still tied atop the SEC standings, had a major flaw exposed. Too small. Too soft for the baddest boys on Auburn’s block. Just ask Johni Broome. Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.

al.com Goodman: I never should have doubted Auburn's Bruce Pearl Updated: Feb. 08, 2024, 7:17 a.m.|Published: Feb. 08, 2024, 6:24 a.m. 7–9 minutes This is an opinion column. ______________________ If I’m being completely honest, Auburn’s basketball team prompted a healthy dose of skepticism after its loss at Alabama earlier this season. The guard play was sloppy and unsure of itself and the Tigers allowed Alabama mustached project player Grant Nelson to take over the game in Coleman Coliseum. It was more than a little revealing, and, so, based on those things, it was fair to assume that Alabama had a decent chance of walking into Auburn on Wednesday night and delivering its season’s signature victory. Yeah, no. Not even close. On this night, the Jungle was not going to allow anyone wearing crimson and white out of the gym without a few bruises and a reminder of how difficult it is for visiting rivals to hear and breath — never mind perform and win — inside one of the rowdiest, loudest and most intimidating venues of competition in the universe. Yes, universe, because during Auburn’s 99-81 victory against Alabama — after Alabama coach Nate Oats had disrespected the place before the game — Neville Arena felt like a scene from the movie Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. RELATED: 3 takeaways from Auburn’s victory against Alabama RELATED: Auburn’s Barkley calls out Tigers again “Two men enter, one man leaves,” said Dr. Dealgood, and I’m pretty sure that’s the pep talk Auburn coach Bruce Pearl gave all those students who camped out for seats before this one. Not exactly known for saying the right thing at the right time, Oats described Neville Arena as a high school gymnasium before the game. Big mistake. Whether Alabama’s coach was trying to deliver a compliment or not, he pretty much sealed his team’s fate before tipoff with those words. Alabama stunned Auburn at Neville last season, but Alabama basketball circa 2023, for all of its problems, featured some serious NBA-level talent. This squad? Well, the Tide couldn’t even win in a high school gym, so we’re still in wait and see mode. Back in 2020, I wrote a column predicting that we were about to enter the golden era of basketball in the state of Alabama. It was one of the greatest calls of my career as a columnist. We’re living it now, so let’s move past the canned reaction of Alabama suddenly being a basketball state. Basketball people knew this was coming long ago. Goodman: Does Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer have the right stuff to be a GOAT? Goodman: Congrats on destroying America, ‘turd face’ Goodman: Suddenly, Auburn is more Saban than Alabama Goodman: Time for UAB basketball to take next step Goodman: A-list celebs and major news linked to MLB at Rickwood What Oats should have said was that the atmosphere inside Auburn’s arena when Alabama comes to town is the toughest thing American basketball has seen since LeBron James played for the Miami Heat and he returned to Cleveland for the first time. I’ve heard that the cramped basketball gyms in Central Europe can turn dangerous and psychotic for big games between rivals, and that’s pretty much where Neville Arena found itself for part two of 2024′s version of the Iron Bowl of basketball. My first mistake with Auburn this season is that I never should have doubted Pearl, Auburn’s future Hall of Fame coach who continues to unlock new ways to win games for the Tigers. In the past, Auburn has won with its guards and with dynamic wings. This year’s team is different. Auburn features some quality on the edges, yes, but Auburn big man Johni Broome is the heart and soul of a team unlike any we’ve seen on the Plains. Tennessee might have the best overall basketball team in the country, but in Broome it’s beginning to look like Auburn could have the SEC’s best overall player going into the meat of the conference schedule. At least that’s how Broome plays against Alabama. He did it in Coleman a couple weeks ago, and the encore inside Neville was an artful piece of hulking beauty that reminded people old enough to remember of Charles Barkley’s game when he developed out of nothing for the Tigers. I write it every year, but I’ll repeat it again here. I cannot put down in words enough flowery, effusive, gushingly positive things about how Pearl develops quality players with big hearts into elite-level talents during their college careers. As long as there are coaches like Pearl in the college game, then there will be a place for determined basketball players to develop their skills for the NBA. Pearl doesn’t get enough credit. He really doesn’t. If there’s a better coach at molding college projects into coveted NBA-quality players, then someone feel free to point them out. For me, Pearl is currently the best there is, and my latest proof is the transformation of Broome. He was a good defender last season, but Broome is starting to look like a legitimate first-round draft pick. For the second time this season, Alabama had absolutely no answer for Broome, who finished with 24 points in 26 minutes to go along with seven rebounds and five game-altering blocks. Broome was unstoppable offensively. He was nowhere near as skilled around the rim last season, and his shooting was a liability. Broome was 9 of 11 from the free-throw line against Alabama. I had to check the box score three times just to make sure I was reading it correctly. Broome does it all. Tennessee might have the most complete team in the SEC, and some are saying the country, but we’re halfway through conference play and Auburn’s big man looks like the best player in the league. Pearl asked Broome to put in the work and Broome listened and then some. That’s obvious. Even his three-point attempts can’t be ignored by opposing defenses. I thought Isaac Okoro was a diamond in the rough, but Broome is proof that Pearl can make a stretch five out of bruising centers, too. Running, blocking, faking, abusing, dunking, bodying, balanced near the rim, fighting for everything AND pulling up from outside — there is nothing Broome can’t do. His highlight reel this season compared to when he showed up at Auburn is all any recruit in the country needs to see. Pearl is a master and what he has done for Auburn makes him one of the greatest coaches the SEC has ever seen. His next task? Bring the best out of freshman guard Aden Halloway before the conference tournament. Do that, and this Tigers team might be the kind that breaks Tennessee hearts in Nashville and cuts down some NCAA Tournament nets. SOUND OFF Got a question about college basketball, the Super Bowl, Auburn, Alabama, college football, or the SEC? Want to get something off your chest? Send Joe a question about what’s on your mind for the Friday mailbag. Ask him anything. Joseph Goodman is the lead sports columnist for the Alabama Media Group, and author of the most controversial sports book ever written.

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