AUBURN, Ala. – With three home games remaining, No. 13 Auburn remains undefeated (14-0) on the Plains this season. An unblemished home record, while impressive, is not the Tigers' top priority.
"We have five games left," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. "How many of them can we get? How can we try to be playing our best basketball at the end?"
The Tigers host Tennessee Saturday at Auburn Arena, looking to begin a repeat of last month's accomplishment, when Auburn followed back-to-back losses with a seven-game winning streak.
"Regrouping, following the scout, knowing personnel, what players on their team like to do," said senior Samir Doughty. "Locking in, offensively and defensively."
Last March, The Tigers defeated Tennessee twice in nine days, including in the SEC Tournament championship game.
"They're still a great defensive team, a well-coached team," Doughty said. "They're really good at blocking shots. They're capable of beating anybody, even on our home court."
In addition to Auburn's spotless home record, Pearl noted that the Tigers have won eight games this season away from Auburn Arena.
"We've been able to win away from home, but clearly we play better at home," Pearl said. "But the Jungle (student section) is not going to put the ball in the basket for us. We've got to do it ourselves."
Freshman Isaac Okoro practiced Thursday and Friday, but his availability for Saturday's game has yet to be determined.
Auburn (22-4, 9-4) tips off against Tennessee at 11 a.m. CT on CBS and the Auburn Sports Network, with Pearl continuing his "Breakfast with Bruce" tradition of feeding students lined up outside Auburn Arena.
"I'll be out there after we get done with our pregame stuff," Pearl said. "I'll go out there and get them some breakfast, get some food in their bellies and get that Jungle rocking."
Player to watch: Samir Doughty
Samir Doughty has scored in double figures in each of his last nine games, which includes standout performances against Kentucky (23), as well as overtime victories vs. Arkansas (23) and LSU (26). In that span, the senior is averaging 18.6 points per game. That mark is tied with Anthony Edwards of Georgia for the seventh-highest scoring average in the SEC since Jan. 21.
Inside the series: Tennessee
The Tigers and Vols are set to square off for the 120th time in series history Saturday morning. Tennessee holds a 78-41 margin in the all-time series. Auburn leads 28-24 in matchups on The Plains.
Auburn has won the last three duels against Tennessee, marking the first 3-game winning streak since winning four between 1997-99. That is the only 4-game winning streak for the Tigers in series history. Auburn has amassed just five 3-game winning streaks in series history.
The last three meetings between the two programs have had title implications. In 2018, the Tigers won 94-84 in Knoxville to begin the SEC slate. It was Auburn's first win at Tennessee since 1998. The Tigers and Vols went on to share the SEC regular season crown.
Last season, Auburn denied Tennessee the chance for hardware twice. The Vols came into Auburn Arena on the final day of the regular season needing a win to earn back-to-back league titles, but it was the Tigers who emerged victorius, 84-80. Just eight days later, the two teams met in the SEC Tournament championship and it was all Auburn. The Tigers buried 13 3-pointers en route to an 84-64 win to claim the title.
Head coach Bruce Pearl led Tennessee to a 145-61 record in six seasons between 2005-11, which included five NCAA Tournament berths and a conference title in 2008. Pearl set the Vols' single-season wins record with 31 in 2007-08, which was since matched by the 2018-19 team. Assistant coach Steven Pearl was a four-year letterwinner at Tennessee between 2007-11, helping the Vols to back-to-back SEC East Division Championships in 2008 and 2009.
Bruce Pearl is 4-4 in his career vs. Tennessee, with all eight meetings coming while leading Auburn. Pearl is 2-1 against the Vols at home inside Auburn Arena.
A little perspective
Despite losing its past two games on the road, Auburn sits at 22-4 overall and 9-4 in SEC play. At this point last season prior to their historic March Madness run, the Tigers were 18-8 and 7-6 in league action.
It was on Feb. 27 when flipped a switch and rattled off 12 consecutive victories that secured a SEC Tournament title and wins over the three winningest programs in college basketball history in Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky en route to the Final Four.
A class above the rest
The 2020 senior class made history with a win vs. Vanderbilt. The class amassed its 88th win, setting a program record for most victories in a 4-year period at Auburn all-time.
The 2020 class is also shooting for the best 2-year and 3-year marks in program history, giving the class the best record in any time span ever at Auburn.