AUBURN, Ala. – Some of Bruce Pearl's more memorable wins at Auburn have come against South Carolina. He got his second SEC win against the Gamecocks in 2015. Three years later, the Tigers beat South Carolina to clinch the SEC regular season championship.
But under Pearl, Auburn has not had as much luck on the road against South Carolina. Since the 2016-17 season, the Tigers have lost all three games in Columbia. Their last win came in 2014.
This year's Auburn team can reverse the recent trend Saturday when they travel to South Carolina. That in itself, a chance to win on the road, is a motivator for a group who won't have the opportunity to play in the postseason come March.
"The motivation for us is to be able to win, to be able to grow, to be able to improve," Pearl said. "For me, it was a missed opportunity at Arkansas – to win at Bud Walton for the third time since I've been here. It could have been two in a row. We haven't done that ever. Making history. We haven't won at South Carolina the last three times we've been there. We've still got a lot to play for."
With Auburn having one of the youngest teams in college basketball this year, it means that no current player suited up the last time the Tigers lost at South Carolina in 2019. Only Jamal Johnson was on the roster, and he redshirted that season.
So what should Auburn expect playing the Gamecocks on the road?
"This is a typical South Carolina team," Pearl said. "They're physical. They play hard. They defend as a team very well. They lead the league in offensive rebounding. They've always been a team that was very difficult to run your offense against because they extend so much.
"When we've been able to beat them, we've been able to beat them with great point guard play and guys being able to drive downhill. Samir Doughty, Jared Harper, J'Von McCormick, Isaac Okoro – matchups that can turn corners to get to the rim. So for us, our creators off the bounce are going to have to be good."
Saturday's game is slated to tip off at 11 a.m. CT from Colonial Life Arena in Columbia. 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 Beth Mowins and Jimmy Dykes on the call.
Player to Watch: Javon Franklin
Junior Javon Franklin produced the best game of his career while playing in his home state in Wednesday's game at Arkansas. The Little Rock native had eight points on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor, which included a perfect 2-of-2 night from beyond the arc. Franklin added four rebounds, matching a career high, and a career-high two blocks in 11 minutes of action.
Inside the Series: South Carolina
Saturday's matchup between the Tigers and Gamecocks will be the 46th in series history. Auburn holds a 26-19 lead and has won three of the last four meetings overall.
The Tigers hold a slim 11-9 advantage in Columbia but have dropped their last three contests after winning three in a row from 2011-2014.
Head coach Bruce Pearl is 16-6 against South Carolina in his head coaching career, which includes a 4-4 mark as Auburn's head coach. Pearl was 12-2 against South Carolina in his six years at Tennessee. Pearl is 4-4 coaching against South Carolina head coach Frank Martin.
Rare Company
Auburn sophomore Jaylin Williams is one of only three players in the country with at least 30 assists, 20 blocks and 15 steals on the season, joining Neemias Queta (Utah State) and Anthony Tarke (Coppin State). Williams, who leads the Tigers with 22 blocks on the season, has blocked at least two shots in each of the last four games and blocked a career-high five shots at Georgia on Jan. 13.
Block Party
Speaking of blocks, the Tigers are second in the country in total blocks this season with 86 through their first 15 games. Williams and teammate Devan Cambridge each blocked five shots against Georgia, becoming the only set of teammates in Division I to block at least five shots in the same game this season. Auburn has blocked a total of 37 shots over its last four games, averaging 9.3 blocks per game in that span.
Auburn aims to reverse recent trend at South Carolina
