AUBURN, Ala. - Nashville, historically, has been unkind to Auburn's basketball program, a trend Bruce Pearl hopes to reverse Saturday at 11 a.m. when the Tigers visit Vanderbilt.
"Last year, we snapped a 13-game losing streak to Vanderbilt," Pearl said. "We're 2-15 at Vandy since 1990. A really good opportunity for us to continue to make history with our program."
The Commodores (9-15, 0-11) are seeking their first SEC victory.
"Vanderbilt's record is clearly a function of the competitiveness of our league," Pearl said. "There's a lot of talent there, and they're very well-coached. They've lost some close games."
Auburn looks to rebound after close losses at LSU and home to Ole Miss.
"We've got to be able to value possessions more," Pearl said. "We played very hard against Ole Miss, defensively. You have to be able to go on the road, not the turn the ball over, get the looks you want to get.
"If you want to evaluate our team's strength right now," said Pearl, referencing Auburn's three straight home wins before the two recent defats, "the last five games, we've defended really well. We've got to continue to guard like we're guarding, do a better job of executing, valuing possessions on the offensive end.
"And the bench. Whether it be the coach, or the guys coming off the bench, we've got to do a better job. We've got to have more contribution from our bench."
A month away from the SEC and NCAA tournaments, Auburn (16-8, 5-6) ranks No. 24 in the NCAA's NET rankings.
"We're going to be playing our way in or out of the NCAA tournament," Pearl said. "We have an opportunity every night to move. That's what you want.
"I think having high expectations is a great thing. I think fans being disappointed that we're not winning is a great thing. That's what you work to try to create. The reality is, we still have a chance to continue to be a really good, competitive team. We've not played our best basketball yet. We're still in a position because of how well we've played and the games we've won, to still do everything we want to do.
"We're trying to make a run to get in the tournament and play for a national championship. That's our focus."
Saturday's game is set to tip at 11 a.m. CT from Memorial Gymnasium. 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 Tom Hart and Sean Farnham on the call.
Player to watch: Bryce Brown
Big-time players can take their show on any court at any time, and Bryce Brown has proven he can do just that. In five road games in SEC play, the senior is averaging 18.2 points per game, including a pair of 20-point performances. Brown has buried 20 3-pointers in opposing gyms in league play thus far, good for an average of 4.0 per contest.
Inside the series: Vanderbilt
Saturday is the 142nd meeting all-time between Auburn and Vanderbilt with the Commodores holding an 89-52 series lead. Vanderbilt had won 13 straight in the series prior to the Tigers' 93-81 victory at Auburn Arena last season dating back to Auburn's previous victory over the Commodores, a 68-65 win at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum on Jan. 6, 2007.
Vanderbilt has a 51-17 advantage in games played in Nashville, including 38-13 at Memorial Gymnasium. The Commodores have won 10 straight over Auburn at Memorial Gymnasium. The Tigers' last win at Memorial Gymnasium came in an 86-80 decision on Feb. 16, 2000.
Bruce Pearl is 9-8 against Vanderbilt in his head coaching career (1-4 coaching Auburn), including a 6-2 mark at home and 3-6 at Memorial Gym.
The Chuma Show
Chuma Okeke recorded his fourth double-double of the season, including three in the last five games, with a career high 23 points and 11 rebounds vs. Ole Miss. He will be looking to become the first Tiger with three straight double-doubles since Cinmeon Bowers did so from Feb. 13-20, 2016.
Okeke has scored in double figures in eight of the last nine games during which he has averaged 13.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He has made a 3-pointer in eight straight games during which he is 13-of-32 (40.6 percent).
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer