In a state entrenched in football tradition, Nate Oats and Bruce Pearl have transformed the Tide and Tigers to the two best teams in college basketball.

How Alabama vs. Auburn became a basketball game between national title contenders is a story no one saw coming.

Offensively, Alabama's offense is largely predicated on the three-point shot, averaging 10.3 triples per game. Auburn's defense allows just six three-pointers made per game, the best mark in the SEC. The Tigers' defense allows an effective field goal percentage of 45.2 percent, the 10th-best in Division I.