While the football rivalry between Alabama and Auburn has always been strong, the competition in basketball is become more intense.
Adding fuel to the fire was the fact that Aden Holloway, a former basketball standout for the Auburn Tigers, moved to Tuscaloosa earlier this year when his time with the Tigers ended.
In a recent interview, Bruce Pearl, the coach of Auburn, stated as much.
“Yes, indeed,” Pearl said. It would be comparable to Auburn’s quarterback switching to Alabama’s quarterback position. How would that impact the Iron Bowl, in your opinion? It would intensify the rivalry and make it more fascinating.
After high school, Holloway was a McDonald’s All-American and a five-star recruit, although he had some difficulties with the Tigers the previous season. Although he had the fourth-best turnover-assist ratio in the SEC, his 3-point shooting percentage was just about 30%.
Since he would be sitting on the bench behind returning All-SEC point guard Mark Sears, many Auburn fans were understandably incensed at the time of his transfer and wondered if he had made the right choice. But Holloway seemed more at home in Tuscaloosa than Auburn, if the films released by Alabama basketball are any guide.
