There was no doubt that it would take Allen Flanigan some time to adjust to game speed and be on the court again with brand new teammates when he returned in December following an Achilles heel injury suffered in September. He has struggled at times, including recently in Auburn's 55-54 victory over Missouri last Tuesday, finishing with just two points and four turnovers.

Against Alabama, though, the junior seemed to find his rhythm, coming away with 10 points, two assists, two rebounds and a steal in the Tigers' 100-81 win. His coach, Bruce Pearl, saw some positives from Flanigan, especially on defense.

"The thing I'm most encouraged about for Al is that he did a nice job out there defensively, and that's got to be his focus," Pearl said. "He'll continue to get a little quicker, getting a little more explosive, getting his shot off a little faster. Those things are all starting to come for sure."

After being the team leader last season in points (14.3 per game), rebounds (5.5), assists (2.9) and steals (0.9), Flanigan has found himself in a lesser role this year but just as crucial to the success of the team. Since his return, he's averaged just seven points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.

Pearl says those numbers don't reflect his contributions to the Tigers.

"It'll detract from what he really needs to do, and that's to be able to defend and rebound at a high level because that's where he's got some elite (ability)," the coach said.

Still, Pearl knows that the offense will eventually come around, making Auburn even more lethal on that end of the court.

"With Al, there are some other things we can do from an attack standpoint," Pearl said. "I think it just makes us harder to guard when you've got another guy you can put in a ball-screen action and who can be a playmaker for you. So, it's really, really valuable, not just his shooting or scoring."