Fourth-ranked Alabama's loss to rival Auburn marked the first of seven straight games against ranked teams to close the regular season.

For Alabama men's basketball to avoid letting the Auburn loss turn into more down the stretch of an SEC gauntlet, here's what needs to be done.

The overwhelming majority of coaches who enter the profession will never be involved in a No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup. But Bruce Pearl has now been in two such games at two different schools and won both of them despite being an underdog and on the road each time.