Film Room: How Auburn torched Alabama's drop coverage
Alabama made a clear commitment to defending the paint, and Auburn still found plenty of ways to hang 94 points in a win for the ages.
(Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers)
TUSCALOOSA — Throughout this program record-smashing, NCAA Tournament résumé-boosting season, Auburn basketball’s offense has been described as the ultimate “pick-your-poison” challenge for opposing defenses.
The Tigers are led up front by Johni Broome, who has separated himself alongside Duke freshman phenom and potential No. 1 overall NBA Draft pick Cooper Flagg to make the National Player of the Year competition a true two-horse race.
Broome has had 15 double-doubles in the 21 games he’s finished this season. He’s now No. 2 in scoring (18.1 PPG) and No. 1 in rebounding (10.9 RPG) in the SEC — which analytics suggest has been the single-toughest conference in the modern era.
Having a superstar like Broome is one thing, but Auburn’s offensive depth makes its attack overwhelming. The Tigers now have six players averaging double-digit points per game this season: Broome, wing Chad Baker-Mazara (12.3), point guard Tahaad Pettiford (11.6), wing Miles Kelly (10.9), combo guard Denver Jones (10.7) and power forward Chaney Johnson (10.4).
On Saturday, in the first No. 1 versus No. 2 matchup in SEC men’s basketball history, Auburn went on the road and defeated arch rival Alabama by nine. The Tigers never trailed, holding the lead for more than 38 minutes of game time. Each of the six leading scorers finished with at least 13 points, burying the Tide with balance and depth.
Auburn’s offensive versatility is a nightmare for defenses, especially one that has shown as much inconsistency as Alabama’s this season. Broome demands extra attention close to the basket, but his skill set extends far beyond the low block. His passing from the post and ability to face up make him an all-around offensive force in a modern system.
Bruce Pearl surrounded Broome with plenty of veteran scorers this season, occupying virtually every spot on the court at all times. And Pettiford has been a big-game hunter as a true freshman, consistently playing his best ball when the stakes are the absolute highest.
This makes defending Auburn a nearly impossible task — even when Broome isn’t on the floor. Pack the paint, and Auburn can drill outside shots at one of the nation’s best clips. Play straight-up, and Auburn can lean on a deadly inside game. Sell out to disrupt the halfcourt offense, and Auburn’s lineup, stacked with shot-creators, will manufacture an improvised offense with ease.
It really is a pick-your-poison scenario. Defenses across the country have thrown a variety of schemes at the Pearl-Burgomaster offense. And Auburn — the team with the fewest losses in the country at this point in the season — has shown an ability to win many different ways. The Tigers haven’t earned the title of the nation’s No. 1 offense in adjusted efficiency by sticking to a single formula.
Alabama head coach Nate Oats is known for his analytics-driven, NBA-style philosophy. As part of that approach, Oats strongly prefers defending ball screens with “drop” coverage — a scheme designed primarily to eliminate high-percentage looks at the rim. Since mid-range jumpers are considered analytically inefficient, Oats wants to avoid them in his own offense while forcing them with his defense.
In drop coverage, the defender responsible for the screener does not step up to the level of the ball screen. Instead, they drop — usually to the high-post area — to contain both the ball-handler and the roller, preventing easy opportunities near the basket.
Meanwhile, the defender guarding the ball-handler is tasked with forcing them into the screen. They chase over the top of the screen, funneling the ball-handler toward the drop defender while working to recover back to their man as quickly as possible. The drop defender, in turn, must keep both the ball-handler and the roller in check.
The desired outcome is a contested mid-range jumper — ideally one affected by the recovering on-ball defender. In today’s game, where offenses prioritize 3-pointers or layups and dunks, well-executed drop coverage can force teams to take more out-of-fashion shots.
But on Saturday, Alabama’s reliance on drop coverage played right into Auburn’s hands. With Clifford Omoruyi and Grant Nelson never getting to the level of the screen to affect the ball-handler, Auburn torched the Tide defense from multiple levels and looks.
“Alabama played drop and did not hit back on screens,” Pearl said after Auburn’s 94-85 win. “You've just got to bang shots behind them. And I thought our guys did. I thought our bigs set good screens. I thought we mixed up enough perimeter stuff where we could get clean looks with letting Chaney and Johni kind of go down in there and do some work. We had a nice balance of some inside-out stuff.”
This tactical battle was evident from the very first possession of the game — a sign of what was to come as Auburn piled on points en route to a historic road victory.