Catching up with Auburn Basketball
After a big win on the road over the South Carolina Gamecocks, Auburn has hit another skid. Since the win in Columbia, the Tigers have dropped three out of the last five. This may not be as bad as seems considering the only loss by more than five points was against the Baylor Bears, who are arguably the best team in the nation. Auburn also beat the 10th ranked Missouri Tigers by six points.
With only six games remaining, Auburn’s home stretch is tough. They play Kentucky on the road, and while that is not as big of a test as it normally would be due to Covid-19 related attendance restrictions and the Wildcats not having their best year. Then the Tigers come back home to host the Mississippi State Bulldogs, which is a winnable contest. Next Auburn travels down to Baton Rouge to take on the LSU Tigers, which will be a harder contest than the previous two. It only gets harder from there as the Tigers host Florida and then Tennessee, both teams being up towards the top of the SEC. They finish the season with against the 11th ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on the road. In the first matchup of the “Iron Bowl of Basketball”, Auburn put up a great fight but ultimately lost 94-90. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers can redeem themselves against the Crimson Tide.
Due to a self-imposed post season ban, these final six contests will be it for Auburn this year. It has not been the best year for the Tigers, and has been frustrating for their fans given what they have come to expect. Auburn has an exciting recruiting class coming in next season. It is currently the 32nd ranked class in the nation, which is the highest they have ever had. Hopefully head coach Bruce Pearl will get the team back to their winning ways next season. War Eagle!