AUBURN, Ala. – Adversity does not build character. It reveals it.
Auburn suffered its first loss of the season Saturday against Memphis. The Tigers are still 8-1 and ranked No. 19 in the last AP Top 25, but how will they respond to losing? How will they bounce back when they take the court Wednesday against Georgia State?
Next Game:
Georgia State
Dec. 13, 2022
7 p.m. CT
TV: SEC Network+
Radio: Auburn Sports Network
"The loss kind of opened our eyes a little bit," sophomore big man Johni Broome said. "We were just ready to get back on the court and get back to work and fix things in areas we had to make. We went back and watched film. Everybody came back to practice with a lot of energy and effort. We're ready to bounce back."
"I think the message was delivered," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "It's teaching. It's not criticism. What we do works really well with great effort and energy. When you don't have great effort and energy, what we do doesn't work very well at all. I think they got it."
Auburn will be glad to be back inside the friendly confines of Neville Arena where the Tigers have won 24 consecutive games and 44 straight against non-conference opponents.
The challenger this time is a Georgia State team that made the NCAA Tournament a year ago after winning the Sun Belt Tournament. The Panthers are 5-4 this season with three of the four losses coming by two points or less.
"I look at them as a sleeper team," Auburn senior Zep Jasper said. "Those guys are going to be pumped. Those guys wish they were at Auburn. They're a team with some shooters, full of drivers, and they're going to be pumped to play in Neville Arena."
Auburn and Georgia State will tip off at 7 p.m. CT from Neville 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 streamed exclusively on SEC Network+.
PLAYER TO WATCH: ZEP JASPER
Senior guard Zep Jasper will reunite with Georgia State guard Brenden Tucker, who is the Panthers' second leading scorer at 11.4 points per game. Both Georgia natives previously played together at the College of Charleston during the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. Jasper has played in 124 career games including 41 career starts in an Auburn uniform. This season, he's scored in seven of the team's eight games and is averaging 3.7 points per game.
INSIDE THE SERIES: GEORGIA STATE
Auburn leads 6-1 in the all-time series with Georgia State. The two sides last met on Nov. 14, 2016 at Neville Arena where Jared Harper and Danjel Purifoy scored 19 points apiece to lead the Tigers to an 83-65 victory. Horace Spencer also chipped in 12 points.
Six of the seven games in the series have been played on Auburn's home court (5-1) with the only other meeting coming in Atlanta in 1990 (W, 79-66).
TOYS FOR TOTS
Auburn Athletics and the Student Veterans Association are teaming up to help our community. In preparation for Wednesday's game, please consider bringing a toy to donate for our Toys for Tots campaign. Collection bins can be found inside the main and scholarship entrances. Thank you in advance for your generous giving.
"We set a record last year for having the most toys that they've ever had," Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "I remember one of these guys in the military with tears in his eyes said, 'Coach, we were able to almost double the number of children we were able to give toys to last year.' Because it just seemed like everybody brought an unwrapped to the game.
"That's the thing. It's not about the number. It's about that one kid that may not get Christmas that got Christmas because everybody brought a toy."