Auburn won its 11th straight game by earning a 94-84 win at No. 23 Tennessee on Tuesday.
The victory marked the Tigers’ first road win in Knoxville since 1998 and their first road win against a Top 25 team since beating Alabama in 2007.
Let’s dive into some takeaways on what we’ve learned about Auburn thus far this season.
Why I’m not surprised by what Auburn is doing
There are plenty of people around the country that are shocked by the Tigers’ ability to start 13-1 after the fallout of the FBI investigation into college basketball.
However, while many thought Auburn would suddenly become the worst team in the SEC overnight, I never felt that way.
For starters, one of the biggest strengths of this team entering the season was depth. And with Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy sidelined, we’ve seen that depth on display. Nine players are averaging 13.2 minutes or more per game, while four players are scoring in double figures.
And while those four top scorers have been essential to success, the players behind them have been just as important.
Anfernee McLemore has shown great improvement in averaging 8.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and an incredible 3.4 blocks per game (seventh in the nation).
Horace Spencer has also provided a consistent rebounding and shot-blocking presence for a much-improved Auburn defense.
Then there’s freshmen Chuma Okeke and Davion Mitchell, who are making a big impact in various ways.
Another reason I’m not surprised by what Auburn is doing? Bruce Pearl.
One of Pearl’s great strengths has always been motivating his teams, and that skill has been amplified to the extreme in this particular situation. Auburn has adopted the “us against the world” mentality, and it’s paid off in a big way.
Say what you want about Pearl, but he’s done a masterful job in keeping the Tigers focused on the task at hand night in and night out.
Diving deeper into the schedule
Perhaps one of the reasons why people were unsure of Auburn’s legitimacy had to do with a lack of household names on the non-conference schedule.
But there was a 10-day stretch in mid-December that told me all I needed to know about the Tigers. Auburn picked up three wins during that period – at home against UAB, on a neutral court against Middle Tennessee, and at Murray State.
The Blazers have the talent to be a potential Conference USA title contender, while the Blue Raiders have proven that they can play with anyone in the country in close losses to USC and Miami.
And then there’s the victory over the Racers. The CFSB Center has never been an easy place to win, and I thought Auburn’s win there might have been its most impressive of the season.
The win at Murray State proved that the Tigers could win in a tough environment, with the win at Tennessee furthering that point.
Staying aggressive
Auburn grabbed 22 offensive rebounds in the win in Knoxville, once again continuing the theme of being aggressive and relentless on the glass.
The Tigers won the overall rebounding battle as well (46-38), and they’ve now rebounded 13 of their 14 opponents this season.
That’s the type of aggression that Pearl wanted to see from his team this season.
Auburn is very athletic and has a roster of versatile players that can affect the game in different ways, and that’s been on display throughout this hot start.
The Tigers have five players averaging at least 5.5 rebounds per game, and as long as that determined effort continues on the boards, this will be a tough team to beat.
Up next
Pearl’s squad will host Arkansas on Saturday before welcoming Ole Miss next Tuesday.
The Hogs are coming off a deflating loss at Mississippi State, and the Rebels will try to earn a second straight win to open SEC play when they visit Georgia tonight.
Auburn figures to be the favorite in both games, so a 15-1 start is certainly within reach.
Normally, you’d wonder about a team’s ability to stay focused after a huge road win against a Top 25 opponent. It’s easy to have a letdown after an emotional high of that nature, and we’ve seen teams do it time and time again.
But based on what we’ve seen from the Tigers this season, that’s not the expectation going forward.
Auburn has all the confidence in the world right now and is playing with an astronomically large chip on its shoulder.
And that’s the type of team that you don’t want to see on your schedule.
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