Rece Davis Breaks Down the IBOB on The Game with Ryan Fowler

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — ESPN broadcaster and College Gameday host Rece Davis joined The Game with Ryan Fowler Tuesday afternoon to break down Saturday's long-awaited matchup against the Auburn Tigers in Coleman Coliseum.

"It's pretty amazing, it's gonna be a great atmosphere between two teams, who in my opinion, can win a national championship." stated Davis to open the interview.

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Davis discussed the allure of coach Oats' system and the brand of Alabama Basketball:

"The guy [Nate Oats] is a brilliant basketball coach. He sets a standards and holds his players and everyone around him to that standard... He doesnt put limits on the program. He doesn't say, well, we're not going to try to get this guy because Kentucky or Duke is trying to get him, he's going to recruit who he thinks fits his program regardless of that. They've been able to provide the support to make them competitive from an NIL standpoint... The other thing that has made it successful... one is player acquisition, players want to play in the style that Nate employs to the degree that people in the NBA call Alabama the 31st NBA franchise because of the way they run things, and then the other part of that is they're fun to watch... they're fun to watch... they play at a quick tempo... get shots up... they play fast. I think that has helped aid the success by getting people into the building."

The ESPN TV personality also touched on how far the quality of Alabama Basketball has come. Davis stated, sharing a personal broadcasting story: "I shouldn't tell this story, but I will; I was calling a game with Bob Knight at Coleman Coliseum years ago, and Alabama won. I don't know. I think the score was in the 50s — Arkansas had a shot at the buzzer, and it didn't go in — I told somebody after the game, man, I'm glad that shot didn't go in, and they said, oh, letting your alumni side come through. And I said no if I had to watch five more minutes of this, I would stick forks in my eyes... When Nate's teams play they are fun to watch."

Davis also discussed the growing basketball rivalry between two already bitter fanbases:

"It's No. 1 vs. No. 2 and they're playing again in a few weeks at Auburn... That's how you elevate a rivalry from something local, or regional, or conference-wide into something that carries national significance... When you have one versus two, it's a big freaking deal."

For more Alabama Baseball, Basketball, and Football content from Simon Besnoy, follow him on Twitter at @SimonBesnoy and stay tuned to Tide1009.com for daily news.