Unwittingly, Arkansas took its eyes off target when it looked to have Bruce Pearl's team zeroed in for a road kill. ESPN, criticized in some quarters for relegating Alabama at Missouri to another network,

No. 2 Alabama basketball is set to play host to No. 1 Auburn basketball on Saturday at Coleman Coliseum in a historic matchup.

Full transcript and press conference video from the Auburn head coach after a historic win in Coleman Coliseum.

Bruce Pearl made sure to flex Auburn's status after the Tigers took care of Alabama in Tuscaloosa to grab the SEC lead.

Auburn assistant coach Steven Pearl says Alabama doesn't hire Nate Oats if Bruce Pearl wasn't coaching at Auburn.

Bruce Pearl may want to beat Alabama bad because of the rivalry, but he has a ton of respect for coach Nate Oats.

Bruce Pearl takes time to discuss how Auburn has built this team into a juggernaut with culture and hard work and praises the teams across the SEC for playing at such a high level.

Bruce Pearl led Auburn to its first Final Four in 2019; Nate Oats got Alabama there for the first time last year. Both iterations of these teams are dynamic, deep and supremely skilled. Saturday’s College GameDay banger should trumpet a phenomenal overall campaign for the SEC.

Bruce Pearl isn’t only an SEC spokesman when it comes to college basketball. During an appearance on the Gary Parrish Show Monday, the Auburn head coach defended SEC football while taking a jab at the Big Ten.

For the second straight game, Auburn men’s basketball will be faced with the challenge of attempting to beat a team twice in Southeastern Conference play. The Tigers beat Ole Miss in Oxford 92-82 back on Feb. 1, and the Rebels will have a chance to avenge that loss Wednesday night in Neville Arena.