AUBURN, Ala. – It was clear that Saturday's Georgia game meant something to this Auburn team. The Tigers played maybe their most complete game of the season, excelling on both ends of the court, and the final result was an 82-60 victory.
Expect that same type of intensity Wednesday night when No. 4 Auburn travels to Tuscaloosa. Freshman Isaac Okoro has not yet played Alabama, but he knows all about the rivalry.
"I hear a lot of people talking about it," Okoro said. "Big game. Hostile environment. A lot of people are going to be there. I just want to go out there for the Auburn fans and get a W."
But while the rivalry games might mean a little more, the reason Auburn is still undefeated (15-0) and ranked No. 4 nationally is that the Tigers have gotten up for every game. It didn't matter if it was Georgia or CSUN, they bring the same effort and energy every night.
"I think it speaks to the character and culture of our program," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "We respect every single one of our opponents. We try and play hard every night and not just against certain teams or in certain environments.
"I think that having five seniors and Isaac Okoro, who I've called my sixth senior, has a lot to do with that. We've been pretty even keeled. We're going to have to now begin to show we can step up. I think we stepped up against Georgia. Again, it's why you play these games so that we can continue to step up. We can go from being a good team to a very good team."
The Tigers will once again have to step up Wednesday night. Not only because it's a rivalry game but also because Pearl believes Alabama is the best team they have faced this season.
The game will tip off at 8 p.m. CT from Coleman Coliseum. 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 ESPN2 with Tom Hart and Andy Kennedy on the call.
Player to watch: J'Von McCormick
In his first road SEC start, J'Von McCormick rose to the occasion. The senior floor general poured in a career-high 28 points, including 20 in the second half, in a win at Mississippi State. McCormick leads the Tigers in scoring during SEC play at 15.7 points per game, while also contributing three assists and three rebounds per tilt.
Inside the series: Alabama
Auburn and Alabama will square off for the 161st Wednesday night. The Crimson Tide hold a 96-64 advantage in the all-time series, but the Tigers have won five of the last seven contests.
Though Auburn is 10-49 in Tuscaloosa against Alabama, the Tigers have won two of the last three battles, including last season's come-from-behind 66-60 victory. The last time Auburn won consecutive games at Alabama was when the Tigers reeled off three straight wins from 1969-71.
Head coach Bruce Pearl is 11-8 in his career against Alabama and 6-5 while at Auburn.
Everybody eats
In nine of Auburn's 15 games this season, at least four players have scored in double figures. In total, seven different players have reached the 10-point plateau so far this season.
During the 2018-19 season, the Tigers had four players score in double figures 19 times.
Auburn is the only team in the SEC to have all five of its starters average double figures in league games this season: J'Von McCormick (15.7), Isaac Okoro (14.7), Samir Doughty (12.7), Austin Wiley (10.3) and Danjel Purifoy (10.0).