Don’t get satisfied
What a week it was for Steven Pearl’s Tigers.
The Auburn men’s basketball team went on the road and claimed a 78-66 victory over Ole Miss, then put the finishing touch on the two-game road stint with its first victory in Gainesville since 1996, a 76-67 triumph over Florida (yes, that means Bruce Pearl never won inside the Stephen C. O’Connell Center while repping orange and blue).
Pearl the Younger also improved to 5-3 against coaches who have been to the Final Four – pretty remarkable for a first-year head coach with a gauntlet of a schedule.
But there’s no time to dwell on the past. Waiting to spoil Auburn’s three-game win streak tonight is Texas, who Steven alluded to as “the most dangerous team in the league.” The Longhorns boast a top-10 scoring offense and own four ranked wins – the only team in the league to achieve that feat.
Needless to say, energy should not be an issue for Auburn it its first home game in three outings.
Here are some interesting tidbits regarding Auburn’s basketball squad:
- During Auburn’s three-game win streak, it has played with the lead for a total of 107:04 minutes and has only trailed for 4:14.
- Auburn has held each of its last three opponents to under 70 points and less than 40 percent shooting from the floor. The Tigers are 7-0 this season when holding their opponents under 40 percent.
- Keyshawn Hall was named SEC Co-Player of the Week after averaging 21.5 points, seven rebounds, three assists, 1.5 steals, and one block per game in Auburn’s two wins last week.
- Auburn is 74-of-90 (82.2 percent) in its last three games from the charity stripe. It ranks third nationally in free throws attempted per game (28.3) and second nationally in free throws made (20.9). Hall leads the nation in free throws made with 141.
Wide-open race
The race for the SEC hoops is wide open – obviously, we’re still in January, but still.
It’s crazy to think that Auburn – which lost three of its four nonconference games by a combined 87 points – could seriously sit atop the league’s standings. A mere 4-point loss to Georgia on the road in overtime and a controversial official’s decision on KeShawn Murphy’s buzzer-beater against Texas A&M separate the Tigers from a 6-1 record and sole possession of first place.
Instead, Auburn sits in the middle of the standings with a 4-3 record in conference play. Texas A&M is the leader with its only loss coming to Tennessee on the road. Three teams have two losses and six teams have three.
Could Auburn go for its ninth SEC championship this year? It’s still anybody’s race.
Quick Hitters:
- Auburn football fans, you have 220 days to learn the names of 59 newcomers. Talk about roster turnover.
- If you have not seen the Clemson-Ole Miss tampering debacle, it’s worth your time. Dabo Swinney is often tabbed as a “crybaby,” but for this, I applaud him.
- ESPN recently reported more than 1,200 portal entrants remain unsigned. I’d bet a large contingent of them really wished they had not listened to their “agents.”
- Will Charles Bediako continue suiting up for Alabama? He played last night. The Tuscaloosa Judge (James Roberts) that ordered the temporary restraining order for him to play last Saturday extended it for another 10 days. The NCAA then filed a motion asking Roberts to recuse himself from the case.
College athletics in 2026 – gotta love it. Until next time. TG
