AUBURN, Ala. – One glance at both the SEC men’s basketball standings and the Associated Press top 25 poll might bring to mind a popular meme.
They’re the same picture.
Well, almost.
No. 1 Tennessee, No. 2 Auburn, No. 4 Kentucky, No. 6 Alabama and No. 7 Florida. Five in the top seven, three more in the top 17 and three more SEC teams knocking on the door.
“The league is off to a historic start,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said.
Of the non-SEC teams in the top 15, the Tigers have played three and defeated two in No. 4 Iowa State and No. 15 Houston. A loss at Duke, currently ranked No. 5, represents the only blemish on Auburn’s record.
“We’ve got a lot of tough games ahead of us, but very proud of our league for being off to such a great start,” Pearl said.
Before Auburn begins the SEC gauntlet Jan. 4 against Missouri, the Tigers play another high-profile opponent in No. 16 Purdue Saturday In Birmingham.
But first, Auburn tips off Tuesday night against Georgia State at Neville Arena.
“A talented team, a very well-coached team,” Pearl said. “They play really hard. They’ve got an SEC-athlete caliber starting lineup, great size and really good inside game.”
With students on holiday break, early arriving fans will have an opportunity to sit close to the action in The Jungle, with Pearl hinting at elements of a track meet and a wrestling match.
“A pretty fast-paced game, they play at a great pace,” he said. “This is going to be one of the more physical games we’ll play.”
It’s the SEC vs. the Sun Belt Tuesday at 7 p.m. CT on SEC Network+ when the Tigers (9-1) take on the Panthers (4-6). Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey will bring the action to listeners on the Auburn Sports Network.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer