AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn players were obviously disappointed following Saturday's loss to Tennessee. They had come so close to knocking off No. 2 on the road. But the performance and the fact that the Tigers did almost pull the upset – it bred confidence, too.
Next Game:
at Texas A&M
Feb. 7, 2023
6 p.m. CT
TV: ESPN2
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
"We've just got to stay together," senior Jaylin Williams said. "That was a tough loss. We were upset. But it was like, 'OK, if that was the No. 2 team in the country, we can win more games than everyone believes.' We've just got to guard and rebound. The offense will come eventually."
There was no time for the Tigers to dwell on the loss either. They boarded a plane to College Station on Monday and will face another tough road tilt at Texas A&M on Tuesday.
"If you love the grind, which I do, then you love the position you're in right now," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said.
Texas A&M might not have a No. 2 next to its name, but the Aggies come in as one of the hottest teams in the SEC having won eight of their first 10 conference games, including a 79-63 in Neville Arena last month. Auburn had no answer for Texas A&M's guards in the first meeting and specifically Tyrece Radford who scored 30 points.
"Texas A&M put 79 on us," Pearl said. "That's the highest total we've given up in league play. It starts with our ability to be able to guard them. Our defense has been good. It requires a tremendous amount of effort and energy and focus on the things we do in the scout."
The good news is Auburn's guards have responded since that first game and played much better defensively last week against Georgia and Tennessee.
The bad news is Texas A&M has yet to lose at home in SEC play.
Auburn and Texas A&M will tip off at 6 p.m. CT from Reed Arena in College Station. Andy Burcham and Brad Law 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.
PLAYER TO WATCH: JOHNI BROOME
Johni Broome has positioned himself as one of the top big men in the SEC. He's scored in double figures in five straight games, including two monster double-double performances against South Carolina (27 points, 11 rebounds) and Georgia (19 points, 18 rebounds). The reigning OVC Defensive Player of the Year currently ranks second in the SEC in rebounds per game (9.9), second in double-doubles (7) and third in blocked shots per game (2.6)
INSIDE THE SERIES: TEXAS A&M
Texas A&M leads 14-6 in the all-time series with Auburn. The Aggies have won two straight in the series including a 79-63 victory at Neville Arena on Jan. 25. Johni Broome and Wendell Green Jr. each scored a team-high 16 points in that first meeting.
This is only the eighth time Auburn has traveled to College Station, and the Tigers are 3-4 all-time on the road with their most recent win coming in 2019 (85-66).
NOTABLE
» Tuesday's matchup will pit the SEC's fourth-best scoring offense (Texas A&M – 74.7 ppg) against the league's third-best scoring defense (Auburn – 63.8 ppg allowed).
» In back-to-back games, Auburn turned in its best offensive performance in the last 20 years against Georgia (1st, 144.6 OE) followed by one of its worst at No. 2-ranked Tennessee (4th, 64.6 OE) according to KenPom. Three of Auburn's top 10 most efficient games on offense have occurred this season with Georgia, Colgate (7th, 136.1) and Winthrop (9th, 134.4). All but two of those top 10 offensive performances have come under Bruce Pearl.
» The league race continues to heat up as the Tigers are now tied for fourth in the latest league standings with Kentucky. Five of the team's last eight games are against league foes currently in first (Alabama), second (Tennessee and Texas A&M) and fourth place (UK).
» Auburn has compiled a 52-30 record (.634) in conference play over the last five years and has finished fourth or higher in three of the last four seasons. Last year, the Tigers won the SEC regular-season championship outright.