Former Tigers on the Tide Will be Critical on Saturday

The storylines that can be woven when No. 1 takes on No. 2 in college basketball are numerous, and it becomes even more captivating when involving Alabama and Auburn - The Iron Bowl of Basketball (IBOB).

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From the personnel, two of the stars for the Tide expected to play together still, but on the other side of the rivalry.

Aden Holloway, the sixth man for the Crimson Tide and the third-leading scorer for the Crimson Tide played on the other side of the state just a calendar year ago. In two games against Alabama last season, Holloway scored eight total points and shot 10% from three-point range combined in the two games.

Holloway left the Tigers and committed to the Crimson Tide in the summer of 2024.

"Aden was a very popular player on our team. He's got great friends in our locker room, and I'm sure that's gonna be different, playing against someone our guys had a great friendship with," Bruce Pearl said Thursday during a media availability.

Holloway is not the only former Tiger on the Crimson Tide roster - technically - as Labaron Philon, a former five-star from Mobile, Alabama, was committed to the Tigers for two months in spring 2023.

Philon, "left on good terms" according to Pearl when he de-committed from the Tigers in April 2023.

"Thought he was gonna be a great player," Pearl said. "We had a great relationship. We offered him a scholarship. I think for a while he accepted a scholarship... But we left on good terms. Happy for him doing really well."

For Holloway, this game will mean more than just a typical matchup in the SEC, with both Alabama and Auburn improving since Holloway's departure from the Tigers. 

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl called it a "win-win" on Thursday, "I think things have worked out really well for both," Pearl said. "Aden's playing great, his confidence is up. He's one of the most dangerous players coming off the bench in the SEC. And I'm happy for him. I'm happy he's playing with such great confidence. I'm not gonna be happy for him when he's drilling them from 35 (feet) against us. And I think things have worked out pretty well for Auburn, too. I think the guys that we brought in have helped us. So I look at it as a win-win."

Holloway, averaging 11.8 points per game on 50% three-point shooting in conference play, can pull up from almost any range and victimize an opposing defense. While Philon is averaging 10.4 points per game while shooting 44.9% from the field.

The two former Tigers - on a technicality - could mean the difference between victory and defeat for Alabama on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. against Auburn.

Wyatt Fulton is the TIde 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.