AUBURN, Ala. – Rocketing up the SEC standings after four consecutive wins, Auburn now sees only three teams ahead of it in the chase for the conference championship, and the Tigers have beaten two of them: Arkansas and Florida.
“Through ups and downs, we’ve been consistent in conference play in everything we’ve done,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. “We have to continue to do so if we want to keep trying to get better.”
Now comes the next challenge in Auburn’s daunting schedule: four consecutive Quad 1 opponents, beginning Saturday night at Tennessee. No wonder the Tigers’ strength of schedule ranks No. 2 in the country.
With a 10-1 record at home, the Volunteers also bring momentum to the matchup after earning road wins at No. 17 Alabama and at Georgia.
“Historically, we’ve had a hard time scoring on Tennessee,” Pearl said. “I told our guys if you want to do something that last year’s team couldn’t do, that would be score more than 50 points on Tennessee.”
Like the Volunteers, Auburn also bolstered its resume with recent back-to-back road wins at Ole Miss and at No. 16 Florida, followed by a home win against Texas.
“Everybody on this team has confidence after this winning streak,” freshman forward Filip Jovic said. “We need to still be hungry against Tennessee because this is a tough game.”
Rebounding figures to play a key role once more. The Volunteers rank No. 4 nationally in rebounding, outboarding opponents by 12.9 per game while leading the SEC in scoring defense (69.8).
“While Florida was a battle, this one is going to be that and some, as far as trying to keep these guys off the offensive glass,” Pearl said. “If winning is important to our guys, we’ll physically check out every possession. If it’s not, we’ll look silly.”
Tennessee’s leading scorer, guard Ja’Kobi Gillespie, averages 19 points per game while 6-10 freshman forward Nate Ament scored a career-high 29 to lead the Vols to victory in Tuscaloosa.
“We’re going to have our hands full trying to guard those guys,” Pearl said. “(Gillespie) does everything for them.”
Seeking its fifth straight victory, Auburn (14-7, 5-3) tips off against Tennessee (14-6, 4-3) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. CT at Thompson-Boling Arena on ESPN and the Auburn Sports Network, where Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey will call the action for listeners.
“Coach Barnes has done an unbelievable job, with everything they’ve accomplished and all the success they’ve had,” Pearl said. “They play with a different level of toughness, physicality and grit, and it’s served them well.
“Another phenomenal opportunity for our guys to try to beat one of the best programs in our league over the last 10 or 11 years.”
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer