AUBURN, Ala. – The last time Auburn won four straight games against Vanderbilt, Charles Barkley helped start the streak.
Van Halen's "Jump" was on its way to the top of charts in 1984 when the Tigers began a stretch of six consecutive Commodore conquests that culminated in 1986.
Auburn (10-10, 4-7) travels to Nashville's Memorial Gymnasium Tuesday looking to extend one streak and extinguish another.
The Tigers have won three in a row against Vandy but have lost their last three games despite averaging more than 80 points in each. Offense, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said, has not been the Tigers' issue.
"We're so challenged defensively that there is lots of room to improve," Pearl said. "There is potential there, but that is our biggest challenge. Our guys are playing hard, just the quickness, keeping people in front has been the biggest challenge. We have to improve in those areas in order to be successful."
A glance at Vanderbilt's (5-9, 1-7) results confirmed Pearl's point.
"They're 4-1 when they score 75 points or more," he said. "They're 1-8 when they're held under 75 points. And teams are scoring 76 against us. So 75 is kind of a magic number. How can we get there?"
To get there, Pearl said the Tigers have worked on communication and defensive principles like recognizing when to switch. With a roster loaded with talented freshmen and sophomores, playing winning defense in the SEC takes longer to develop than offense for most players, he said.
"The defense is night and day from high school to college," Pearl said. "Or even from college to the pros. And that's probably just what's ailing us, the communication that's required."
Sophomore Devan Cambridge's defense has improved, Pearl said, coinciding with increased productivity on offense. He's scored in double figures in seven of Auburn's last nine games, averaging 10.4 points while shooting 49 percent from the field in that span.
"He's got the potential to be a great player and he's made progress," Pearl said. "I think it has to do with his own mindset and playing out there with Sharife (Cooper)."
Nashville has historically been unkind to Auburn. The Tigers are 1-10 in their last 11 visits to Vanderbilt, a stat Pearl said he would share with his team for an added measure of motivation, not that Auburn will need much after Saturday's 86-84 home loss to Ole Miss.
"I thought we played really well against Ole Miss," Pearl said. "That was really a tough loss because we absolutely played well enough to win and hard enough to win."
Auburn and Vanderbilt tip off Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. CT with Dave Neal and former Auburn standout Daymeon Fishback on the SEC Network call. Andy Burcham, Paul Ellen and Brad Law will have the radio call on the Auburn Sports Network.
Player to Watch: Allen Flanigan
Allen Flanigan has taken his game to a new level in his second season on The Plains. The Little Rock, Ark. native is averaging 14.1 points per game this season after contributing 3.2 points per tilt a season ago. His improvement of plus-10.9 points per game is tied for the biggest jump in the SEC with Iverson Molinar of Mississippi State. Flanigan has reached double figures 17 times, good for second in the SEC.
Inside the Series: Vanderbilt
Auburn and Vanderbilt are slated to meet for the 143rd time in series history Tuesday night. The Commodores lead the all-time series, 88-54, but the Tigers have won the last three duels.
Auburn snapped a 13-game losing streak to Vanderbilt in 2018. Previously, the Tigers' last win was on Jan. 6, 2007.
Auburn is aiming for a four-game winning streak against Vanderbilt for the first time since winning six straight from 1984-86. That stretch is the only time the Tigers have won four straight vs. the Commodores since the series began in 1921.
Vanderbilt holds a 51-18 advantage in the series in Nashville, including 38-14 at Memorial Gymnasium. Auburn's win in 2018 snapped a 10-game losing streak in Nashville that dates back to Feb. 16, 2000 when the Tigers earned an 86-80 decision.
Auburn is looking to win back-to-back games at Vanderbilt for the first time since 1985-86.
Bruce Pearl is 11-8 against Vanderbilt in his career.
Tons of Offense
Auburn has scored more than 80 points in four straight SEC games for the first time since doing so in the last game of the regular season in 2019 and the first three league games last season. The Tigers are averaging 91.8 points in their last four league games.
The last time Auburn scored at least 80 points in five straight SEC games was between Feb. 6-24, 1999 during the Tigers' run to the SEC regular season title.
Auburn visits Vandy, seeks fourth straight series win
