AUBURN, Ala. – The son of two Auburn basketball legends, senior center Austin Wiley grew up knowing the significance of the Auburn-Alabama rivalry.
After recording his ninth double-double in No. 11 Auburn's 91-90 overtime win vs LSU Saturday, Wiley will play Auburn's in-state rival for the final time in the regular season Wednesday at Auburn Arena.
"I just play my hardest and help my team win, and whatever outcome is the outcome," said Wiley, whose mother, Vickie Orr, and father, Aubrey Wiley, made their marks on Auburn basketball history. "But of course, we would love a win against them."
Alabama won the season's first meeting in Tuscaloosa, 83-64 on Jan. 15, one of only two Auburn losses this season.
"We try to be excited to play every opponent. We're not going to look at the last game," said Wiley, who averages 9.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. "We're just going to go into this game with a new mindset, just take care of business, play the best game and try to get better as a team."
Auburn (21-2, 8-2) has won six consecutive games to move into a first-place tie in the SEC and holds wins over Kentucky and LSU, the other teams in the top spot. The Tigers have won three of their past four games in overtime, overcoming double-digit deficits in each.
"We've had some heroic performances," said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, listing key contributions from starters and reserves. "It's been a different guy every night. The team has shown some chemistry and mental toughness.
"To have a record right now with our statistical breakdown doesn't make any sense, other than to give the team credit for how hard they're fighting and how they're able to manage winning close games. Alabama is a really good team."
Wednesday's game will tip off at 6 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 ESPN2 with Tom Hart and Andy Kennedy on the call.
All Auburn, All Orange
Auburn fans attending the game are encouraged to wear orange. The Auburn baseball team will also be throwing out shirts in the first half.
Player to watch: Austin Wiley
Austin Wiley has been a beast on the boards this season, ranking in the top 10 nationally in offensive and defensive rebound rate. The senior has pulled down double-digit rebounds 10 times this season, leading to nine double-doubles. Wiley entered the 2019-20 campaign with two career double-doubles and is now third in the SEC with nine this season.
Inside the series: Alabama
This will be the 162nd meeting on the hardwood between the Tigers and the Crimson Tide. Alabama leads the all-time series, 97-64, but Auburn has won five of the last eight in the series.
Auburn is 32-27 against Alabama at home, including 6-3 inside Auburn Arena. In total, the Tigers have won six of the last seven on The Plains, including the last four. In the last seven games at home, Auburn has outscored Alabama by an average of 76.0-63.7.
The Crimson Tide Auburn its first loss of the season in Tuscaloosa last month, 83-64. Despite starting the season 15-0, the Tigers had 21 turnovers and were limited to 32 percent shooting from the floor in that game.
50-year anniversary of 60 points
Nearly 50 years ago to the day (Feb. 14, 1970), Auburn's John Mengelt put together the greatest single-game performance in program history against Alabama.
Mengelt scored 60 points on 23 of 38 shooting that also included 14 of 15 from the charity stripe.
Mengelt's 60 points are the most scored in a single game in program history and the seventh-most by an SEC player ever. It is the most points scored by a player in the rivalry, ahead of the 38 scored by Alabama's Jerry Harper (1956-57) and Jack Kubiszyn (1958-59).