AUBURN, Ala. - And down the stretch they come. Four games until tournament time and Auburn's postseason dreams are still in play.
Two Saturday sellouts at home. Two midweek rivalry games on the road, starting Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT at Georgia.
"We've put ourselves in a really good position," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "We're going to have to start playing better basketball in order to win any one of the four games at home or on the road. That's what you're trying to do at the end of the year. We certainly saw a glimpse of that against Arkansas. We didn't see it against Kentucky. We'll see what Georgia brings. We'll see what Mississippi State brings."
The Tigers (18-9, 7-7) beat the Bulldogs 93-78 at Auburn Arena on Jan. 12, Auburn's third straight win over Georgia.
"It's an important game with our rival," Pearl said. "It's an important game if we're going to try to maintain the numbers we have right now in the NET."
Auburn ranks No. 23 in the NCAA NET rankings, an indicator that bodes well for the Tigers' NCAA prospects.
"We've put ourselves in position to play our way in or out whatever it is that it's going to be," Pearl said. "What more can you ask for, right?"
Auburn will likely be without center Austin Wiley, whom Pearl says is doubtful after a painful landing against Kentucky.
For Auburn's Georgia natives – Jared Harper, Bryce Brown, Anfernee McLemore and Chuma Okeke - a chance to earn a fourth straight win over their home-state team adds extra motivation.
"I'm going to be up for this game more just coming off a loss at Kentucky," Harper said. "This is a crucial game for us playing on the road at Georgia. Georgia is a good team at home. We definitely need this win."
Player to watch: Jared Harper
Jared Harper has made his presence known against the team from his home state. In five career games, Harper is averaging 15.4 points, including 19.7 in the last three, while shooting 40 percent from the floor. The junior from Mableton dropped a 24-piece to go along with seven assists in his last game at Stegeman Coliseum. Harper has dished out 14 dimes in his last two games vs. the Bulldogs.
Inside the series: Georgia
Wednesday is the 189th all-time meeting between Auburn and Georgia with the two teams each winning 94 games in the series. The Tigers are looking for their second straight season sweep over the Bulldogs after winning 93-78 in Auburn Arena on Jan. 12.
Auburn swept the season series last season, winning 79-65 in Auburn and 78-61 in Athens. A win would give Auburn four straight wins over Georgia for the first time since winning 12 straight in the series from Jan. 17, 1976 - Feb. 27, 1980. Prior to last season, Auburn had not swept a home-and-home season series against Georgia since 1986 and the Tigers haven't swept the Bulldogs in consecutive seasons since doing so five straight years from 1976-80.
In Auburn, the Tigers have won 12 of the last 15 meetings between the two and hold a 61-24 advantage. Georgia holds a 62-24 lead in games played in Athens and a 28-13 mark in Stegeman Coliseum. The Tigers lead 9-8 at neutral sites, including a 3-5 mark in SEC Tournament games.
80 is the number
The lucky number for Auburn this year has been 80. When the Tigers put up 80 or more on the scoreboard, they are 12-2. Conversely, Auburn is 1-6 when allowing 80 or more points in a game this season.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer