AUBURN, Ala. - Winners of three of their past four SEC games, the Auburn Tigers face two ranked teams this week: No. 12 Missouri at home Tuesday and No. 2 Baylor on the road Saturday.
"These teams are where we want to be," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "We're not there yet."
Still, the Tigers are trending in the right direction after setting a program record for points in an SEC road game in Saturday's 109-86 win at South Carolina.
"We've made progress," Pearl said. "I've never faulted our work ethic. We're a much better team with Sharife (Cooper) as our quarterback."
The Missouri matchup will feature the SEC's youngest team, Auburn, against its most experienced.
"This is the first season for most of our players," Pearl said. "We are the youngest team, by experience, in college basketball, and so they should be getting better."
Mizzou, by contrast, features a seasoned lineup led by standout guards Xavier Pinson (14.1 points per game) and Dru Smith (12.6).
"Those two guys just destroyed us a year ago by being able to get to the basket," Pearl said of Missouri's 85-73 win last season in Columbia. "They do the things you need to do to win championships: defense and rebounding."
Coming off a career-high 24-point effort, Auburn sophomore guard Allen Flanigan ranks second on the team in scoring (14.4) and rebounding (5.3).
"Allen's one of the most improved players in our league because he's worked as hard as anybody in our league," Pearl said. "Not surprising, coming from a family of coaches and tough guys. He's taking advantage of the opportunity.
"He's going to get an unbelievable opportunity against Smith and Pinson. We ask a lot from him. I'm really happy for Al. He plays well, we play well."
Auburn (9-7, 3-5) and Missouri (10-2, 4-2) tip off at 8 p.m. CT Tuesday at Auburn Arena on ESPN2. Andy Burcham and Sonny Smith will have the call on the Auburn Sports Network.
"Really, really good team," Pearl said. "Once again, we'll have to play our best game of the year to beat them."Player to Watch: Allen Flanigan
There aren't many, if any, around the league that can say they've improved their game as much as Allen Flanigan has from last year to this year. The sophomore is averaging 14.4 points per game, which is an 11.1 difference from a season ago (3.2 points per contest). Flanigan has scored in double figures in 13 of 16 games this season, including three games with at least 20 points.
Inside the Series: Missouri
Tuesday's matchup between the Auburn and Missouri is set to be the 13th in series history. The series is currently knotted up at 6-6, but Auburn has won five of the last seven, including three of the last four.
Auburn is 3-1 in games played on The Plains having won all three games at home under head coach Bruce Pearl.
Auburn has outscored Missouri on average 83.5-71.3 at home, which includes an average scoring mark of 88.7 in the last three contests.
Pearl is 6-5 in his head coaching career against Missouri with all six victories coming while leading Auburn.
Auburn vs. Top-25 Opponents
Auburn is 70-215 against teams from the AP Top 25 all-time. In 2018-19, the Tigers set a program record by defeating six top-25 teams, including five in a row from the SEC Tournament title to a trip to the Final Four.
The Tigers won two of their matchups against top-25 competition last season, taking down No. 13 Kentucky (75-66) and No. 18 LSU (91-90 in OT) in a span of seven days. Auburn lost its most recent top-25 battle vs. No. 1 Gonzaga, 90-67, in the second game of the season.
Auburn has won seven of its last nine games against the AP Top 25, which is the best stretch in program history by far. The next-closest similar streak was when the Tigers defeated six of nine ranked foes between the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons.
Auburn is 11-19 vs. the Top 25 under head coach Bruce Pearl, while Pearl is 36-44 all-time against ranked teams.
Whole Lotta Height
Auburn boasts the ninth-tallest team in the country, averaging 78.7 inches per player - nearly 6-foot-7.
Auburn's average height of 78.7 inches on the 2020-21 roster is the tallest the Tigers have had over the last 15 seasons.
Since 2007, Auburn has boasted an average height of 77 inches or more just four times: 77.1 in 2010-11, 77.9 in 2015-16, 77.3 in 2019-20 and 78.7 in 2020-21.
Auburn's average height over the last 15 seasons is ranked in the middle of the pack nationally (160.5). The Tigers have had a roster in the top 100 in the country in terms of height just three times since 2007: 93rd in 2010-11, 48th in 2015-16 and ninth in 2020-21.
Auburn begins challenging week with No. 12 Missouri
