Jan. 8, 2018
#22 Auburn vs. Ole Miss
(2017-18 RECORD: 14-1, 2-0 SEC) vs. (2017-18 RECORD: 9-6, 2-1 SEC)
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| Tue, Jan 9 | 8 p.m. |
By Greg Ostendorf
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- When Auburn fans pack Auburn Arena for Tuesday's game against Ole Miss, they will see a Top-25 Tigers team at home for the first time since 2000.
What's been the secret to Auburn's 14-1 start to the season?
"I think the fact that for the first time since I've been at Auburn, we have seven players that returned," Pearl said on Monday's SEC teleconference.
"This team doesn't have any seniors, but we have seven guys that returned -- five of them are eligible. The chemistry and learning from the things that ailed us last year, that has a lot of carry-over. And then the four newcomers we brought all came in `What do you need? What can we do to help?' Not coming in as newcomers and saying `Here I am. OK, get me the ball.'"
Sophomore Mustapha Heron, the SEC player of the week this week, currently leads Auburn with 15.9 points per game, but the Tigers have four players averaging double figures in scoring this season. Between Heron, Bryce Brown, Jared Harper and Desean Murray, a different player has shared the team-high in points in each of the team's last four games.
"We share the ball," Heron said. "We give each other good looks and we knock shots down. That's pretty much it. We're just playing as a unit right now, and we look to keep that up the whole season -- playing together, playing hard and playing for each other."
Heron and his teammates will look to continue that balanced scoring Tuesday night against an Ole Miss team that has won two of its first three league games.
The game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. CT from Auburn Arena. Rod Bramblett and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the TuneIn app. The game will also be televised on ESPNU with Rich Hollenberg and Debbie Antonelli on the call.
Player to watch: Desean Murray
One of the top rebounders in the conference, junior Desean Murray has made his prescence known in his first season at Auburn. His 7.3 rebounds per game lead the Tigers and ranks fifth in the SEC. Murray has also gotten it done on the scoreboard, amassing 10 games with 10 or more points, including six at Auburn Arena. The forward boasts 11 points and seven rebounds per game in conference contests this season.
Inside the series: Ole Miss
Auburn will meet for the 134th time on the court Tuesday night. The Tigers hold a 73-60 advantage in the all-time series.
Auburn touts a 49-15 record at home, but Ole Miss is 4-2 at Auburn Arena. The Rebels have won the last 10, dating back to the 2012 season.
Calling on the reserves
You typically expect a small drop-off when a coach turns to his reserves. That's not been the case for either Ole Miss or Auburn this season. The Rebels lead the SEC with 452 points from their bench (30.1 per game), and the Tigers are No. 3 with 411 (27.4).
For Auburn, the main catalyst off the bench has been Chuma Okeke. The freshman forward, averaging 8.5 points per game, has scored in double figures in each of the last three games.
On this date
On Jan. 9, 1999, the 14th-ranked Auburn Tigers stormed into Baton Rouge on the heels of a 14-game winning streak and defeated LSU, 73-70. Auburn went on to win 17 in a row in what currently stands as the second-longest winning streak in program history.
In that game, the Tigers trailed 39-23 at halftime, but outscored LSU 50-31 in the second half en route to a win. Chris Porter scored 26 points and pulled down 14 rebounds to lead Auburn.
The Tigers hold a 12-17 record all-time on Jan. 9, including two wins against Ole Miss in 1961 and 1991.
AUTLIVE Cancer Game, Jan. 27
Join Coach Pearl and the Auburn Basketball program in the local fight against cancer with the purchase of an official AUTLIVE t-shirt at Tuesday night's game. All proceeds benefit local hospitals and cancer centers. Visit the sales booth in the scholarship or main entrance to purchase your shirt and join us on Saturday, January 27 for the AUTLIVE game against LSU.
Vote for Coach Pearl
Click here to vote for Bruce Pearl and Children's Harbor in the Coaches Charity Challenge. The coach with the most votes after four rounds wins $100,000 for their charity. Each charity will receive money for every round their representative coach is voted through.
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf