AUBURN, Ala. – The SEC season is here. Auburn has found a rhythm, winning five straight games, but conference play is a different animal. SEC teams are bigger, stronger and more athletic, and Arkansas, the Tigers' first opponent, is no different.
"Arkansas will finish in the top five of our league," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "So it will be a real step up for us. The question for us is going to be how much step up do we have? Because we are really young – the youngest team I've ever coached. Our guys have worked hard. They've gotten better. They've been incredibly disciplined through COVID. The question is are we old enough to be able to handle the pressure that Arkansas will put on us?"
"We've got to be able to guard it, and we've got to be able to try not to turn it over. The things that Arkansas does well – they turn you over, and they're hard to guard. Those are the two areas we're going to have to be able to step up."
During this current five-game winning streak, Auburn has stepped up. Defensively, the Tigers have forced 81 total turnovers and held opponents to 61.8 points per game. In that same span, they are averaging 77.6 points per game on offense and shooting 50 percent from the field.
One might attribute the success to the opponents. Four of the five victories have come against teams from smaller conferences. Still, Auburn has responded to each and every challenge.
"I was extremely impressed that our guys were excited about playing every night," Pearl said. "We're not good enough to show up and beat Appalachian State or Texas Southern or South Alabama. We're just not. We had to step up and play well to beat them. The question is can we now handle the speed, the quickness, the size, the athleticism of the SEC night in and night out?"
That is precisely what Auburn will find out beginning Wednesday night against Arkansas.
The game will tip off at 6 p.m. CT from Auburn Arena. Andy Burcham and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the TuneIn app. The game will also be televised on ESPN2 with Karl Ravech and Jimmy Dykes on the call.
All persons inside Auburn Arena will be required to wear a face covering at all times and maintain appropriate social distancing. Visit the Men's Basketball Gameday page at AuburnTigers.com for more information.
Player to Watch: Allen Flanigan
One of the most improved players in the SEC, Allen Flanigan has asserted himself as one of, if not the, top option on offense. After averaging 3.2 points per game in 31 games last season as a freshman, Flanigan has raised his scoring output to 13.8 points per tilt. In fact, Flanigan has already scored more points this season (110) than he did in his entire first season on The Plains (100).
Inside the Series: Arkansas
Wednesday's matchup between Auburn and Arkansas will be the 54th in series history. The Razorbacks hold a 33-20 lead, but the Tigers have won four of the last six, including three of the last four overall and two in a row. Auburn has beaten Arkansas three straight times just once in program history, earning two wins in 2003 and one in 2004.
In last season's battle in Fayetteville, the Tigers came back from down 11 in the second half and won 79-76 in overtime. Only three players between the two teams return for this year's matchup in Auburn's Devan Cambridge and Jamal Johnson and Arkansas' Desi Sills.
Bruce Pearl is 8-6 in his head coaching career against Arkansas, including a 4-3 mark at Auburn. Last season, Pearl became the first coach in program history to win twice at Arkansas. Former head coaches Tommy Joe Eagles (1993), Cliff Ellis (2003) and Jeff Lebo (2009) each amassed just one win in Fayetteville while at Auburn.
SEC Openers
Auburn is 39-48 (.448) all-time in SEC openers since the league's first season in 1932-33 and 3-3 under head coach Bruce Pearl. The Tigers are 20-17 when opening SEC play at home. After opening SEC play on the road each of the last three seasons, this will be the first time they begin league play inside Auburn Arena since the 2016-17 season against Georgia.
Pearl is 8-4 as a head coach in SEC openers, winning five of his six SEC openers at Tennessee and three of six openers while at Auburn.
From Arkansas to Auburn
Auburn boasts three players from the state of Arkansas in Allen Flanigan (Little Rock), Javon Franklin (Little Rock) and Chris Moore (West Memphis). Assistant coach Wes Flanigan also has roots in the Natural State. He was born in Little Rock and later served as the head coach at Little Rock from 2016 to 2018.
Tigers begin SEC play at home against Arkansas
