AUBURN, Ala. – No. 11 Auburn’s non-conference gauntlet, a parade of ranked opponents, begins Saturday with a late-night Lone Star State showdown vs. No. 4 Houston.
“The beginning of what is four, and what potentially could be six games for us in the non-conference, against top-14 teams,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said.
And that’s before conference play begins in January, with nine of the SEC’s 16 teams ranked in the preseason Associated Press top 25.
Pearl’s scouting report of the fourth-ranked Cougars: “They play hard, physical, great rebounding team, great defensive team, they win every 50-50 ball, they play the right way, they play as a team.”
Auburn heads to Texas with momentum and confidence after thrashing Vermont 94-43 Wednesday in Tipoff on The Plains. The Catamounts, Pearl expects, will be an NCAA Tournament team. The Cougars are Final Four candidates.
“We’re going to get exposed,” Pearl said. “Whoever wins the rebounding battle is going to be important. Both teams have demonstrated they’re both really solid defensively.”
Don’t expect a shootout.
“Two of the top defensive teams in the country so it could be the first to 50,” Pearl said.
There’s a reason Auburn assembled such a daunting schedule. Call it a method to the March Madness.
“Playing the No.1 or No. 2 team on the road, and a team as physical and as old as Houston, where is it going to get harder? Maybe at Duke, maybe at Alabama?” Pearl asked. “If we’re fortunate enough to make it to the NCAA Tournament, what opponent will we play at a neutral site that’s going to be more difficult than at Houston, at Duke or at Alabama? I can’t think of any.
“If we can have some success or even survive, that’s going to be good for the development of our team.”
Coinciding with an open date for Auburn’s football team, this early-season marquee matchup will attract a large contingent of traveling Tiger fans.
“We’re going to have thousands of people at the Houston game,” Pearl said. “We’ll have witnesses down there, which is a good thing.”
Auburn’s veterans remember well the teams’ most recent meeting in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament in Birmingham, when a 10-point halftime lead turned into a season-ending 81-64 defeat.
“They’re well-respected,” said Auburn senior Johni Broome. “Just like that year, they should have a very good team.”
Broome and the Tigers get another crack at the Coogs Saturday at 8:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU from Toyota Center, home of Jabari Smith and the Houston Rockets. Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey will describe the action on the Auburn Sports Network.
“Rebound the basketball, take care of the basketball, make a few shots,” Pearl said. “If we do those three things, we’ll have a chance to win.”
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer