AUBURN, Ala. – Trailing 44-22 at the half against Florida last week, it would have been easy to write off this Auburn team. They were down to their third-string point guard, and with no postseason this year, maybe it was time to start thinking about next year.
The Tigers had other ideas. They outscored Florida in the second half and carried that momentum into Saturday's game where they outscored Tennessee in both halves to pick up a 77-72 win against the 25th-ranked Volunteers without Sharife Cooper or Justin Powell.
"I'm really proud of my team for continuing to compete, continuing to fight and get better," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "I just think it speaks to the culture and to the character. Our kids haven't written it off, and we are playing better defensively.
"The fact that there is no postseason, it speaks a lot to the coaching staff and the chemistry. We are going to remember how we finish. Right now, I remember about the last three halves. How are we going to feel this offseason about the last four halves? That is going to be the challenge."
The first two of those remaining four halves will come Tuesday night in Tuscaloosa against an Alabama team that just clinched the SEC regular season championship. It's the second time in the last four years the state of Alabama has produced a regular-season champion with Auburn winning the 2017-18 title.
When the two sides met earlier this season, Cooper finished with 26 points and nine assists in a 4-point loss to Alabama. The freshman point guard is questionable for the rematch with an ankle injury, and if he's unable to go, expect Jamal Johnson to fill the void at point guard. On Saturday, he only turned it over once.
"We made a pretty dramatic change by putting (Johnson) at point guard the entire game, and he handled it well," Pearl said. "It does speak to his versatility. I think he can play the position this year and in the future for us."
Tuesday's game between the two in-state rivals is scheduled to tip off at 6 p.m. CT from Coleman Coliseum. 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 Kevin Fitzgerald and Dane Bradshaw on the call.
Player to Watch: Jamal Johnson
Against Tennessee, Jamal Johnson stepped up to play point guard in the absence of Sharife Cooper, a position he hadn't played more than a few minutes, and filled in admirably. He had 14 points, three rebounds, three assists and just one turnover while leading the Tigers to score 77 points on the Vols, who were only allowing 63 points per game.
Inside the Series: Alabama
Alabama and Auburn will meet for the 164th time on the hardwood Tuesday night. Alabama leads the all-time series, 98-65, but the Tigers have won six of the last 10 in the series, including two of the last four in Tuscaloosa. Auburn's win in 2017 snapped a 7-game losing skid at Alabama.
Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is 12-10 in his head coaching career against Alabama, which includes a 4-5 mark inside Coleman Coliseum. Pearl is one of only three coaches to lead Auburn to multiple wins at Alabama, joining Bill Lynn (3) and Jeff Lebo (2).
Balanced Attack
Auburn is the only team in the SEC to have six players averaging double figures in league play. Sharife Cooper leads the way at 20.6 points per game, followed by Allen Flanigan (14.7), Jamal Johnson (10.3), Devan Cambridge (10.3), JT Thor (10.1) and Jaylin Williams (10.1).
No other team in the conference even has five players scoring in double figures in SEC action. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky and LSU each have four.
Man of Many Talents
In his second season in the program, Jaylin Williams is showcasing why he is one of the top talents in the Southeastern Conference. The sophomore is one of only four players in the country with at least 50 assists, 30 blocks and 15 steals this season. In addition, he is one of just 11 underclassmen nationally to average 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
Williams made a statement in his first collegiate start against Saint Joseph's on Nov. 26 when he posted his first career double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Over his last 10 games, Williams is averaging 11.4 points per game on 51 percent from the floor (44-of-87), including 36 percent from 3 (14-of-39). The Georgia native is also chipping in a team-best 5.7 rebounds and has 15 blocks in that span.
Tigers embrace opportunity in rematch at Alabama
