02/23 at 12:19 AM

The two teams that met in Coleman Coliseum last March 6 were traveling in wildly different directions.

The home team, Alabama, was nearing the end of a trying, yet ultimately successful season, under first-year coach Anthony Grant.

The visitors, Auburn, were a veteran team that was underperforming a year after a surprise NIT berth, waiting for the other shoe to drop on sixth-year coach Jeff Lebo.

The Crimson Tide won 73-61 that night, only their second win in the past eight tries against their in-state rival.

It was a sign of things to come.

Alabama (18-8, 10-2 SEC) has continued its upward swing in Grant’s second year, already clinching the regular season SEC West title and putting itself in the position to reach its first NCAA Tournament since 2006.

Auburn (9-17, 2-10) is feeling the growing pains of a new coach, a new system and almost an entirely new team in Tony Barbee’s first year.

The two collided again at Auburn Arena earlier this year, with Alabama proving the veteran team down the stretch and turning a nailbiter into a 68-58 win by holding the Tigers scoreless for a 4:06 stretch in the final 5:07.

That started a stretch of seven wins in eight games for the Tide.

“They are playing as well as any team in our league,” Barbee said. “Anthony (Grant) has them playing hard and aggressive defensively.”

Alabama has made its name on the defensive end this season, ranking first in the SEC in scoring defense (58.2 ppg), first in opponent field goal percentage (37.1), third in opponent 3-point percentage (30.9) and first in steals per game (9.5).

So Grant’s not too worried if his team isn’t lighting up scoreboards every time it steps on the floor.

“For us, our main focus is putting us in a position to win games,” Grant said. “Our team understands what allows us to win, what allows us to be successful. I’m not really concerned with where our team is ranked from an offensive standpoint.

“As long as our guys understand what we need to do to win, that’s all that matters.”

Barbee has been preaching a similar “defense-first” mentality to his young team this year.

The new coach wants his Tigers, who are often plagued by offensive standstills, to outwork their opponents for 40 minutes and not let their offensive troubles affect their defensive intensity.

Auburn has executed the plan well in games such as its 81-72 overtime loss at Georgia and its 65-62 win over Mississippi State, a game in which the Tigers went on a 17-0 run and didn’t allow the Bulldogs to hoist a shot for more than 4 minutes.

Back-to-back blowouts against Ole Miss (90-59) and Vanderbilt (77-60) give the impression the team is backsliding.

But the Tigers have shown enough in Barbee’s first year to make Grant’s proclamation –

“Auburn is playing some very good basketball as we head down the home stretch here” – on this week’s SEC teleconference seem like more than just lip service.

“It’s kind of been the same thing all year long,” Barbee said. “The offense has really hurt us in terms of being able to stay in the game, but that is to be expected against high level teams that you face every night in this league.”

Barbee believes his team is getting there.

As for Grant and the Tide, they’ve arrived.

“We’re excited about the opportunity we have in front of us, excited and proud of what our team has been able to accomplish up to this point,” Grant said. “We’re just locked in.”

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Auburn (9-17, 2-10) at Alabama (18-8, 10-2)

Where: Coleman Coliseum, Tuscaloosa

When: 7 p.m.

Radio/TV: WKKR (97.7 FM)/SEC Network

Projected starters, Auburn: F Allen Payne, 6-6, Fr. (6.0 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.0 spg); F Kenny Gabriel, 6-8, Jr. (9.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 0.9 bpg); F Adrian Forbes, 6-8, Jr. (3.7 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.6 bpg); G Josh Wallace, 5-10, So. (5.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 3.9 apg); G Earnest Ross, 6-5, So. (13.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 2.4 apg)

Projected starters, Alabama: F JaMychal Green, 6-8, Jr. (16.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.1 bpg); F Tony Mitchell, 6-6, So. (16.1 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 1.7 spg); F Chris Hines, 6-6, Sr. (5.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.6 bpg); G Trevor Releford, 6-1, Fr. (10.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.7 apg); G Charvez Davis, 6-3, Sr. (8.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.0 apg)