AUBURN, Ala. – A year ago to the day Tuesday, Auburn went on the road and lost to UCF. The 63-55 defeat was one of only two non-conference losses for the Tigers last season with the other coming to the eventual national runner-up, Gonzaga.
Next Game:
UCF
Dec. 1, 2021
7 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network+
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
"Last year, UCF probably guarded as well as anybody all year long," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "We shot 32 percent, 21 percent from the 3. It was a real challenge for us offensively."
On Wednesday, Auburn (5-1) will get another crack at the Knights at home.
It's a new-look Auburn team this year coming off an 89-point performance against Syracuse in The Bahamas, but Pearl expects a lower-scoring result, much like last year, against a UCF team led by former Duke standout and assistant coach Johnny Dawkins.
"This will be the second-best team we've played against behind probably UConn, and it's the best defensive team we've played against so far," Pearl said. "They're one of the oldest teams in college basketball – a lot of juniors and seniors, a lot of fourth- and fifth-year guys. Last year we didn't play Darius Perry, who is arguably their best player.
"This is a much better team than we played a year ago. We'll have to continue to improve."
Auburn has shown it's a better team too, though. Through the first six games, the top three scorers are all newcomers. Jabari Smith, the SEC's latest Freshman of the Week, leads the way with 16.3 points per game while sophomore K.D. Johnson, a transfer from Georgia, is putting up 15.7 points per game. The Tigers currently rank third in the SEC and No. 19 nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency on the Pomeroy Rankings.
The Tigers have also been nearly unbeatable at home in non-conference games, sporting a 46-3 record in regular season non-conference home games under Pearl. They have won 36 straight and hold a perfect record in each of the last five seasons.
The Tigers and Knights will tip off at 7 p.m. CT from Auburn Arena. Andy Burcham and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM and online at AuburnTigers.com. The game will also be streamed on SEC Network+.