AUBURN, Ala. – A leading contender for national player of the year, Johni Broome embraces the opportunity No. 2 Auburn faces this week with back-to-back SEC games away from Neville Arena.
“If you want to be one of the best teams in the country, you’ve got to be able to win on the road,” Broome said. “We wanted this, to test ourselves again. Going to Texas and South Carolina will be a good test for us.”
The first part of that test takes place late Tuesday in Austin, Texas, when the Tigers visit one of the SEC’s newest members.
“They have a really great roster,” Auburn center Dylan Cardwell said. “It’s going to be challenging to win there in Texas. What stands out to me is how deep their roster goes.”
Texas earned non-conference wins over Syracuse and North Carolina State before dropping its SEC opener 80-60 at Texas A&M in a game that was tied at halftime.
“We’ve had a lot of big games, and I think this one absolutely qualifies,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “It qualifies for both teams. This is a quad-one opportunity for us. Texas is a household name in the world of intercollegiate athletics. Everything they do in Texas is big, and they do it pretty well.”
By virtue of Auburn’s No. 2 ranking, a win over the Tigers would build the resume of any team that can achieve it.
“They’re looking for a signature win,” Pearl said. “One they could hang their hat on. This is their first opportunity in the league at home. I would imagine they’re going to be fired up to play the No. 2 team in the country in their building.
“The prize on our head is significant. When you can beat teams that are ranked, it’s a separator. We’re going to have to play our best to win.”
A victory over the Longhorns would push Pearl past Joel Eaves for the most wins in program history.
“It means the world to me to be attached to history,” Cardwell said. “I’m appreciative of the opportunity to be part of something so special.”
“That’s important to us,” Broome said.
At Monday’s practice before the Tigers flew to Texas, Pearl gathered his team for a question-and-answer session.
“One of the questions I’ll ask the team in preparation is, ‘Tell me what they say about teams that can win on the road. What do they say about them?’” Pearl said. “We’ll fill in the blanks and we’ll see if that’s who we are.”
That process commences Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT at the Moody Center in Austin when Auburn (13-1, 1-0) tips off against Texas (11-3, 0-1) on ESPN2. 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