Alabama and Auburn fans will converge Saturday night in Birmingham when the second round of the NCAA tournament features both teams playing separate games in a single ticketed event.

Auburn will tip off against Houston at 6:10 p.m. CT, while Alabama meets Maryland at 8:40 p.m. CT.

Maryland’s coach Kevin Willard offered a message to Auburn fans on Friday.

“Stick around,” he said. “Should be a good game. And it’s 9:40 [p.m. ET] at night. What else is there to do in Birmingham? It’s like, come watch a great game and chill out. I think the NCAA sells beer now. I’m not sure. Do they?

“It’s a great place to be. It’s going to be a good game. They’ve got a great game. Why not?”

Willard would have preferred to have the Auburn game tip off later to allow Tigers fans to watch Alabama play first, potentially rooting against the Terps’ No. 1 seeded-opponent.

“I’m hoping Auburn wins, because then their fans will stick around,” Willard said. “I’m afraid if Auburn loses, then at 9:40 [p.m. ET] at night, knowing Auburn fans, they’re probably going to the bar.”

Maryland fifth-year guard Don Carey also offered a message for Auburn fans.

“I’ve been hearing that Auburn fans are going to be in the building kind of rooting for us,” he said. “If they’re rooting for us, we appreciate that. If not, we look at it like a road game. It’s just about the guys that’s on the bench, managers, the whole staff.

“As long as we come together, I think that’s enough alone, but we’ll appreciate Auburn if they root for us as well.”

If Willard can’t stir up Auburn fans’ support in the crowd late Saturday night, he wants his team to handle it like it has other road games.

“We just experienced it in the Big Ten Tournament, Indiana had 17,000 fans,” he said. “It’s just something you’ve got to deal with. That’s the bad thing about being the [No.] 8, 9 seed. That’s why you don’t want to be the 8, 9, because you’re going to get a home game your second game.

“I think we’ve played in enough venues. I don’t think the crowd’s the factor. If you look at Alabama’s roster, I’m more worried about that than I am the crowd.”

Mike Rodak is an Alabama beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @mikerodak.