In today’s episode of Longshore and McKnight, John and Barry examined the buildup to the historic Auburn-Alabama basketball showdown, featuring the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the country!

They analyzed Auburn’s road victory over Vanderbilt and Alabama’s dominant win against Texas, highlighting key performances from Jaren Stevenson and Mark Sears. The discussion touched on SEC basketball’s growing strength, with Jay Bilas calling it the toughest conference ever. Ticket demand and secondary market prices for Saturday’s game were also debated, along with the potential for students to camp out and whether Alabama fans might storm the court if they pull off an upset.

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The conversation expanded beyond basketball, coveriing Alabama’s NIL strategy, and the challenges of maintaining elite college programs. The hosts also reacted to Kellen Moore’s hiring as the New Orleans Saints’ head coach, questioning whether he can turn around the franchise despite quarterback uncertainties. NFL draft positioning and team-building strategies were explored, as well as the broader trend of favoring offensive-minded coaches.