AUBURN, Ala. – Following Thursday's win over North Carolina State, Auburn is 10-0 for only the fourth time in program history and for the first time since the 1998-99 season when The Tigers started 17-0. They are one of just four undefeated teams left in college basketball this season.
But the only number that matters to this group is one – the next one.
"Being 10-0 is good," senior Samir Doughty said. "We just focus on one. We don't focus on our record or our ranking. We're just focusing on our next opponent and hopefully that we'll win."
Next up in this case is another home game against Lehigh on Saturday. Not only is Auburn's undefeated record at stake, but the Tigers will also carry a 26-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents that dates back to the 2016-17 season. In Bruce Pearl's five years as head coach, Auburn is 37-3 at home against non-conference opponents.
"Lehigh's played really good teams already – at Virginia Tech and at Saint Mary's," Pearl said. "I take it one at a time, so I haven't spent a ton of time on them. We'd like to try to see if we can build on it and head into the holidays undefeated."
Saturday's game will tip off at 5 p.m. CT from Auburn Arena. Andy Burcham 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 SEC Network with Richard Cross and Debbie Antonelli on the call.
Holiday bleacher games
Please note for the Dec. 21 (Lehigh) and Dec. 29 (Lipscomb) home games that there will only be a Stadium Deck parking shuttle. There will not be a shuttle running from the facilities lot. With students on holiday break, fans are encouraged to park in the Coliseum, Athletics Complex, Stadium Deck and Campus Safety lots.
Player to watch: Jamal Johnson
In his first season with Auburn since transferring from Memphis, Jamal Johnson has filled a much-needed role as a 3-point specialist. The redshirt sophomore is shooting a team-best 14 of 31 (45 percent) from downtown. Johnson has knocked down a 3-pointer in each of the last five games and in eight of 10 games total this season.
Inside the series: Lehigh
The Tigers and Mountain Hawks are set to meet for the first time in series history Saturday. Auburn is 6-1 all-time against teams from the currently-constructed Patriot League and has won its last six dating back to 1974, including a 91-61 win over Colgate this season. That was Bruce Pearl's first and only game he's coached against a Patriot League team.
Efficient on both ends
Auburn is one of nine teams to rank in the top 30 in both offensive and defensive efficiency, joining Baylor, Butler, Duke, Kansas, Louisville, Michigan, Maryland and Ohio State. The Tigers are 24th in offensive efficiency at 109.9 and 29th in defensive efficiency at 90.1.