AUBURN, Ala. – It's good to be home.
Auburn dropped the final two games of a three-game road trip to begin the 2020-21 season, but the Tigers returned home this week and hope that being back in Auburn Arena will serve as the perfect remedy Friday night when they open the home slate against South Alabama.
"We're excited about the home opener," head coach Bruce Pearl said. "We're disappointed with the Central Florida game. We didn't handle the moment well at all. It's going to be good to get another game in Friday and see if we can get a better taste in our mouths for how we're playing the game and how we're playing together."
Auburn and South Alabama met last year in Mobile, and freshman Isaac Okoro hit the game-winning shot with just under five seconds left to send the Tigers home with a 70-69 victory. This year's matchup features two completely different teams.
For starters, Okoro is no longer at Auburn. He was the fifth overall pick in last month's NBA draft. Of the 10 Tigers who saw the floor in last year's game, only four are back. Those four – Jamal Johnson, Allen Flanigan, Devan Cambridge and Babatunde Akingbola – all came off the bench and combined to score just 18 points in 41 minutes of action.
Johnson scored 14 of those 18 points, knocking down 4 of 5 shots beyond the arc. On Monday, the junior guard matched his career high with 18 points against UCF.
Like Auburn, South Alabama also features a brand-new team. The Jaguars went 20-11 a year ago and finished second in the Sun Belt, but all five starters from last year's Auburn game are gone. Still, thanks in large part to Western Michigan transfer Michael Flowers, the team's leading scorer, South Alabama is off to a 3-1 start this season.
"If you include last year where they won their last eight straight, and they started out this season 3-1, they've won 11 of their last 12 games," Pearl said. "This is a team and program that does have confidence and is playing well."
Friday's home opener will tip off at 8 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 Paul Sunderland and Jon Sundvold on the call.
All persons inside Auburn Arena will be required to wear a face covering at all times and maintain appropriate social distancing. Visit the Men's Basketball Gameday page at AuburnTigers.com for more information.
Player to Watch: Justin Powell
The first commitment in the freshman class, Justin Powell has proved to be a key cog for Auburn early in the season. Powell is averaging 10.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game off the bench. His scoring output ranks third on the team, while his effort on the glass is second. He is tied for the third-most rebounds by a freshman guard in the country with 20 through three games.
Inside the Series: South Alabama
Friday's matchup is set to be the 12th in series history between Auburn and South Alabama. The Tigers boast a slight 7-4 advantage in the series and have won the last four duels, including last year's thrilling 70-69 victory in Mobile. With the win, head coach Bruce Pearl improved to 3-0 all-time against the Jaguars in his career with wins in 2006, 2018 and 2019.
Auburn is 71-17 all-time against Division I non-conference foes from the state of Alabama and has won its last eight dating back to 2010.
Home Cookin'
Auburn Arena has become one of the toughest environments to play in the country. The Tigers have been especially good at home against non-conference competition under Pearl as they boast a 40-3 mark (.930), which trails only Arkansas (54-3, .947) in the SEC since 2014.
Auburn has won 29 straight regular season non-conference home games and holds a perfect record in each of the last four seasons. The streak is tops in the SEC by a wide margin, leading Arkansas (15) and Georgia (13). The last time the Tigers lost at home to a non-conference foe was on Jan. 30, 2016 vs. Oklahoma State in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
A December Open
Auburn's game against South Alabama on Friday, Dec. 4 marks the latest home opener in a season since 1987 when the Tigers defeated VCU, 93-80, on Dec. 5 under former head coach and current radio analyst Sonny Smith.
Tigers host South Alabama in 2020-21 home opener
