AUBURN, Ala. – After two years of not participating in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, No. 16 Auburn is back this year and hosting Iowa State on Saturday in one of the marquee games.
It's been a down year for Iowa State, but the Cyclones still feature one of the best players in the country in point guard Tyrese Haliburton and it's a program that has made the NCAA Tournament seven of the last eight years with two trips to the Sweet 16 in that span.
Like Auburn, Iowa State is also the reigning conference tournament champions in the Big 12.
"It's a battle of the defending [conference] tournament champions," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "Iowa State's been a great Big 12 Tournament champion. They've won a lot of Big 12 championships over the last bunch of years. Their program is a top-25 program. They have a young man (Haliburton) who will be as good of a player as we'll play in the arena.
"We've not had much success representing the SEC in this challenge. We won down at TCU a couple of years ago, which I thought was a real significant win for our program and the SEC. So here we are again with an opportunity to try and represent our league."
With a win Saturday, the Tigers can make it 14 straight wins inside Auburn Arena. They can also finish off a perfect non-conference slate at 13-0 this season.
The game will tip off at 11 a.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 ESPNU with Rich Hollenberg and Dan Dakich on the call.
Player to watch: Devan Cambridge
Devan Cambridge had the game of his young career Wednesday night vs. South Carolina. The freshman came off the bench and scored 26 points on 10-of-14 from the floor, including 6-of-9 from beyond the arc, to go along with five rebounds. Cambridge had a total of 21 points across his previous 12 games before leading the Tigers to victory in the last game.
Inside the series: Iowa State
Auburn and Iowa State are set to meet on the hardwood for the fourth time in series history on Saturday. The Cyclones lead the series 2-1, winning the last two matchups: 2000 during the second round of the NCAA Tournament and 2013 in Ames, Iowa as part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Tigers won the first game of the series, 89-87, in the first round of the 1986 Sun Bowl Classic under former head coach and current radio analyst Sonny Smith.
Auburn is 17-16 all-time against members of the currently constructed Big 12 Conference. The Tigers have racked up wins against nine of the 10 members, including multiple wins vs. seven programs. The only Big 12 team Auburn has not defeated is Kansas State.
Head coach Bruce Pearl is 0-1 against Iowa State, dropping a 71-62 decision in 2001 during his first season at Milwaukee. Pearl is 9-8 against the Big 12 in his career. Saturday's matchup is set to be the first between Pearl and Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm.
Home cookin'
Auburn is currently riding a 13-game home winning streak inside Auburn Arena. It is the third home winning streak of at least 10 games since the final home game of the 2016-17 season. There had only been six home winning streaks of at least 10 games in program history prior to that.
80-Piece
In Auburn's win vs. South Carolina, the Tigers scored 80 points for the 10th time this season. It is the 81st time Auburn has eclipsed the 80-point plateau under head coach Bruce Pearl. Below are the number of 80-point games by Auburn coaches who have amassed at least 50 such occurrences in their tenure.
| Head Coach | Years | Games |
| Sonny Smith | 1979-89 | 89 |
| Cliff Ellis | 1994-2004 | 89 |
| Bill Lynn | 1963-73 | 87 |
| Bruce Pearl | 2014-Present | 81 |
| Joel Eaves | 1949-63 | 72 |
| Tommy Joe Eagles | 1989-94 | 72 |
| Bob Davis | 1973-78 | 64 |