AUBURN, Ala. – In the conference where It Just Means More, Saturday's top 25 matchup at Neville Arena carries an extra measure of importance for Auburn's native Arkansans Allen Flanigan and Chris Moore.
Next Game:
Arkansas
Jan. 7, 2023
7:30 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
For Moore, it's because of the backlash he received when he told the Razorbacks no thanks.
"The day I committed to Auburn, the fan base went crazy on me, saying I was disloyal to the state," Moore said. "Beating them for the first time in three years would be amazing. It would definitely make my new year."
For Flanigan, it's because the Razorbacks passed on him.
"For me it's personal, being from Little Rock and them offering another kid over me so I never got an offer from my home state even though I was the No. 1 player in the state," Flanigan said. "It's personal to me to play against the Hogs."
Defeating No. 13 Arkansas, says Auburn coach Bruce Pearl, will require No. 22 Auburn's top performance to date.
"We're going to have to play the best we've played all year," Pearl said.
Auburn is looking to regain its winning form after losing 76-64 at Georgia, evening the Tigers' SEC record at 1-1 in a conference race Pearl has compared to a "rock fight."
"You can't let the highs get too high, you can't let the lows get too low," Pearl said. "We've got to take advantage of every opportunity we have. This is a chance to stay in the top 25 if we can get it. That's part of making history. That's what we play for."
Auburn and Arkansas will tip off at 7:30 p.m. CT from Neville Arena on Saturday. 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 SEC Network.
Fans are encouraged to wear orange to the game for the "All Auburn, All Orange" game.
PLAYER TO WATCH: ALLEN FLANIGAN
One of two Arkansas natives on this year's roster, senior Allen Flanigan is averaging 7.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game as a reserve for the Tigers. Flanigan will play in his 95th career game in an Auburn uniform on Saturday. He was the No. 1 player in the state of Arkansas coming out of high school and won two state championships with Parkview Magnet High School in Little Rock.
INSIDE THE SERIES: ARKANSAS
Arkansas leads 37-20 in the all-time series and has won the last three games against the Tigers. In the lone meeting last year, Auburn was ranked No. 1 at the time and lost in overtime, 80-76, in Fayetteville. Auburn's last win in the series was a 79-76 OT thriller at Bud Walton Arena on Feb. 4, 2020. Samir Doughty scored a team-high 23 points for the Tigers.
TOP 25 SHOWDOWN
Saturday will be Auburn's first top 25 matchup of the season, pitting the 22nd-ranked Tigers against No. 13 Arkansas. Auburn is 16-23 against ranked foes during the Bruce Pearl era and finished 3-2 versus the Top 25 last year, beating LSU (16), Alabama (24) and Kentucky (12). The program's last victory over a ranked Arkansas team came Jan. 6, 2018 (88-77).