AUBURN, Ala. – Before returning to his alma mater to compete against the program for whom he played three seasons, KeShawn Murphy made another important stop in Starkville.
“We’re going to his favorite hibachi restaurant tonight,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said. “I know he’s really excited about that.”
Averaging 11 points and seven rebounds per game for the Tigers, the 6-10 senior forward’s homecoming will be a key storyline in Auburn’s midweek visit to Mississippi State.
“He put a lot of time and effort into that program,” Pearl said. “It was important for him to get his diploma from there because he has a lot of love for that place. I know he’s excited about the opportunity to go back and compete against some former teammates. I’m sure there will be some hostilities there, but he’s excited about it.”
With one-third of the SEC regular season remaining, Auburn looks to finish strong after navigating a challenging stretch of conference games.
“We’re going to stay consistent on what we do because what we do works, and it’s shown to work,” said Pearl, who shared a quote that resonated with him. “Belief stems from experience reinforced by evidence.”
Pearl listed victories over Texas, No. 12 Florida, No. 20 Arkansas, NC State and No. 17 St. John’s as evidence of Auburn’s production and potential.
“We’ve shown what we’re capable of doing,” he said. “That’s where my belief comes from, knowing that our guys are capable when they’re at their best to go win the games.”
Auburn’s preparation for State begins with the SEC’s leading scorer, Josh Hubbard, who averages 21.4 points per game and has scored 28.8 per game in the Bulldogs’ four SEC wins.
“Probably the best scoring point guard in our league,” Pearl said. “He’s probably licking his chops right now after some of the performances some of the guards have had against us as of late. Our guys have to really step up and be excited about that matchup. Another great test on the road.”
Hubbard poured in 32 points on 12-of-16 shooting Saturday in State’s 90-78 rivalry road win at Ole Miss.
“He’s a handful,” Pearl said. “With how much we switch, it’s going to be reliant on everybody to sit down and guard. He’s difficult to contain. He’s a really good offensive player and presents a ton of challenges for a defense.”
“Play hard, take away their best scorer and hopefully come out with this win because we need it,” said Auburn’s Elyjah Freeman.
Seeking to stop a four-game losing streak, Auburn (14-11, 5-7) plays Mississippi State (12-13, 4-8) Wednesday at 8 p.m. CT at Humphrey Coliseum in Starkville, Mississippi, on ESPN 2 and the Auburn Sports Network, where Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey will describe the action for listeners.
The Tigers return to Neville Arena Saturday to host Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. CT in the AUTLIVE Cancer game featuring free AUTLIVE T-shirts for Auburn University students.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer