Bruce Pearl has coached at a high level throughout his time as head coach of the Auburn Tigers men's basketball team. His success is believed to have played a role in Alabama following a similar route with how they hired Nate Oats, according to Steven Pearl.

Steven, Bruce's son, appeared on the Stingray Show on Tide 100.9 earlier this week to give his thoughts on the growth of basketball in the state of Alabama. Given how his father succeeded in his situation at Auburn, he believes the Crimson Tide did the same when it came to Oats.

“I don’t think Alabama goes and hires Nate Oats if Bruce Pearl isn’t at Auburn. That’s not throwing shade on anyone. I just think that what Coach (Pearl) has been able to do at Auburn has raised the level of expectations at other schools in this league,” Steven said.

“They said, ‘Listen if Auburn can do it, we can do it at a high level too if we get the right person like Auburn did.’ Alabama got the right person. Nate Oats is one of the best coaches in the game right now. His stats and accolades back that up. He’s done an unbelievable job and the rivalry has only gotten more intense and only gotten better.”

Bruce Pearl, Auburn gear up for battle with Nate Oats, Alabama

Auburn Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl talks with his team during a time out against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half during the second half at Memorial Gymnasium.
Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Related Auburn Basketball NewsArticle continues below
Alabama Crimson Tide guard Sarah Ashlee Barker (3) celebrates during the second half against the Maryland Terrapins.
Sarah Ashlee Barker sets new Alabama record in NCAA Tournament epic
USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins to miss rest of NCAA Tournament with season-ending knee injury
USC women’s basketball star JuJu Watkins to miss rest of NCAA Tournament with season-ending knee injury
Featured image Texas Sean Miller
Texas basketball send eight-word message to Sean Miller after hiring ex-Xavier coach

Steven Pearl's comments come as Bruce Pearl and the No. 1 Auburn Tigers prepare for a big matchup against Nate Oats' No. 2-ranked Alabama side.

Auburn enters the matchup with a 22-2 overall record, going 10-1 after 11 games of SEC play. They produce 84.8 points on 48.6% shooting from the field and 37.2% from beyond the arc. Their strong form has them beating teams by a margin of 17 points per contest. Johni Broome commands the unit with 18.1 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.7 blocks.

As for Alabama, they boast a 21-3 overall record that includes a 10-1 showing in SEC play. They put up 90.5 points on shooting splits of 48.4% overall and 34.4% from downtown. As a result, they take down opponents by 12 points per game. Mark Sears leads the way with 17.8 points, 4.9 assists and 3.1 rebounds.

The showdown will take place on Saturday at the Coleman Coliseum. Tipoff will happen at 4 p.m. ET.