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Live Updates From Alabama Basketball's Birmingham Exhibition Against Auburn

Updates and analysis from Legacy Arena in Birmingham, as the Crimson Tide takes on the Tigers in the final tune-up before regular season play.
Theodore Fernandez|
Feb 7, 2026; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward London Jemison (6) shoots free throws before the game against the Auburn Tigers at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images
Feb 7, 2026; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide forward London Jemison (6) shoots free throws before the game against the Auburn Tigers at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Alabama Crimson Tide

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The Iron Bowl of Basketball comes early this year.

Alabama basketball is set to meet Auburn at Birmingham's Legacy Arena at 7:00 p.m. CT for the Crimson Tide's final exhibition before the start of regular season play. We'll have live updates from the venue here, including game analysis, statistics, and the best of the fans and atmosphere from what will be a unique showcase for both teams.

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First Half:

11:46: Auburn 19, Alabama 16 — These teams did not get the memo on the "exhibition." This feels like a late-February SEC matchup between two teams jockeying for NCAA Tournament seeding. Narcisse Ngoy, an NBA draft pick, is dominating, with eight points and four boards (three offensive). Players are regularly hitting the floor, and the crowd is as engaged as possible. Fun start to this one.

Four technical fouls were issued as a result of this skirmish: Amari Allen and Brandon Garrison for Alabama and Kevin Overton and Caleb Williams for Auburn. Both Nate Oats and Steven Pearl ran out to the court. The fans have been even more animated since this moment.

15:29: Auburn 11, Alabama 9 — A 7-0 Auburn run was ended by a Brandon Garrison three. Amari Allen continues to make an impact on both ends. London Jemison showed nice awareness with a steal on Alabama's end to set Garrison up with his shot. Chaos ensued moments ago as the teams got into a scuffle.

17:30: Alabama 6, Auburn 4 — What a start for Amari Allen. He has three points, a steal and an assist. The sophomore made an excellent play in 1-on-2 transition, knocking away the ball and leaping out of bounds to save it, before draining the three on the other end.

Pregame:

Alabama's starters have been announced.

Auburn's starting lineup for tonight's exhibition:

Auburn's starting lineup
Auburn's starting lineup | BamaCentral

Cole Cloer and Collins Onyejiaka are both out of uniform today. It does not appear as though either will play. Aden Holloway is also out, as he is suspended, and freshman Anderson Diaz is also out of uniform. Diaz has not played for the Crimson Tide yet.

Alabama freshman Jaxson Richardson is currently warming up. He missed the Crimson Tide's first two exhibitions and could be primed to make his debut today.

Alabama vs. Auburn Game Information 

Who: Alabama (2-0 in preseason exhibitions) vs. Auburn (0-1 in preseason exhibitions)

When: Thursday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m. CT

Where: Legacy Arena, Birmingham, Alabama

All-Time Series: Alabama leads the all-time series against Auburn 103-69, with the first matchup occurring on Feb. 28, 1924. This includes a current three-game win streak for the Crimson Tide. As previously stated, this game does not count, but the rivals are gridlocked at 12-12 in neutral-site showdowns.

Last Meeting: The Crimson Tide beat Auburn 96-84 in the regular-season finale at home on March 7. The win clinched Alabama the 2-seed in the SEC Tournament, as it needed to come out victorious in order to break the tie in the conference standings with Arkansas, which is now the 3-seed. Aden Holloway and Labaron Philon Jr. scored 21 points each. The duo helped the Crimson Tide get into the lane effectively, as Alabama outscored Auburn in the paint 58-32. The Crimson Tide out-rebounded the Tigers 42-28, including the use of 19 offensive rebounds for 24 second-chance points.

How to Watch, Listen to Alabama vs. Auburn

Stream (for free): Knight Eady's YouTube channel (Play-By-Play: Karl Ravech, Analysts: Daymeon Fishback and Richard Hendrix)

Radio: Crimson Tide Sports Network (Play-By-Play: Chris Stewart, Analyst: Bryan Passink, Sideline: Roger Hoover). The pregame show will begin one hour prior to tipoff.

SiriusXM: 134/201

Keys to the Exhibition: Alabama vs. Auburn

  • Can Alabama continue to thrive on the glass after outrebounding Ole Miss 45-28 (14-9 offensive)?
  • Which Crimson Tide players can lock down Auburn's Tahaad Pettiford (15.4 points per game in 2025-26) and Kevin Overton (14.1), who were the Tigers' second and third leading scorers, respectively, last season?
  • What will the intensity level be from both teams? Sure, it's just a scrimmage, but according to Oats, "I don't think anybody in the game is going to realize the record doesn't go on your record. It's going to count in the state of Alabama."

Alabama's Lineup vs. Auburn

  • Sophomore guard Amari Allen was the only member of the Crimson Tide to start in both exhibitions.
  • Other Furman Starters: guard Qayden Samuels, plus forwards London Jemison, Drew Fielder and Keitenn Bristow; Other Ole Miss starters: guard Tarris Bouie, plus forwards Cole Cloer, Brandon Garrison and Jamarion Davis-Fleming.
  • Expect some sort of blend between these two lineups for Thursday night's starting five, and this article will be updated when it is revealed.
  • Centers Collins Onyejiaka and TJ St. Louis are yet to play despite being healthy. Redshirts have been removed from college sports, but Oats said St. Louis, a freshman, will essentially be treated as one this season.

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Theodore Fernandez
THEODORE FERNANDEZ

Theodore Fernandez is BamaCentral’s baseball beat reporter and a co-host of The Joe Gaither Show. He also works as a weekend sports anchor at WVUA 23 News in Tuscaloosa and serves as one of the station’s lead high school sports reporters. Fernandez is a news media student at The University of Alabama and is pursuing a master’s degree in sports management.

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