Bruce Pearl met with the media on Tuesday to preview his team’s contest with Murray State on Tuesday. The No. 12 Tigers host the Racers Wednesday night in their last game before the holiday break.
Murray State comes in ranked No. 38 in the NCAA’s NET ranking. The Racers hold a 10-1 record, with a single loss to East Tennessee but also had a major win on the road at Memphis.
“They’re very veteran. They’re sixth in the nation in points scored, at 86. They’re fourth in field goal percentage at 52,” Pearl said. “They’re really good.”
Auburn is coming off a difficult 74-70 road win at St. Louis University, where the team struggled with rebounding the ball but ultimately went on a late run to hold on to a win. Murray State will present a similar set of difficulties for Auburn.
St. Louis’ Francis Okoro leads the nation in offensive rebounding per minute played. Underneath him in the rankings? DJ Burns of Murray State.
“Our guards have got to rebound down and do a better job at that. We had some really poor rebounding numbers on our stat sheet and it’s a team issue. That’s something the team has got to clean up,” Pearl said.
“We need to continue to get better on both ends of the floor. We’ve got some weaknesses at both ends that remain,” Pearl said. “Just need to get better in a hurry if we’re going to beat the people we’ve got left on our schedule.”
Auburn’s earlier games had featured an Auburn Arena home crowd that could help out if the team stumbled. Closing out non-conference play, though, has been a different story. St. Louis brought a sell-out crowd and Murray State will come to Auburn, while Auburn students are gone on break.
“Obviously we will not have the Jungle, so we need our crowd to not act their age and to be really excited about seeing a really good team,” Pearl said.
Guard Allen Flanigan has been the off-court focus of late. The junior would have been the team’s most useful returning player, but an Achilles tear has kept him off the court. Pearl has been working to get him back before conference play arrives
“It’s possible. He’s practiced with us for now, going on about a week, and he’ll warm up tomorrow,” Pearl said. “If he feels good, he’ll play some, yes, but it’ll still be a game-time decision.”
This last game before their break will be one last steppingstone before the Tigers dive into conference play. Their various opponents and locations have built a solid resume for the team as they move on into the homestretch of the season.
“The number that matters to me is the NET, because that’s one of the major tools the committee are going to use to seed the tournament. They take all that stuff into consideration,” Pearl said. “That matters. It does, because it just tells you where you’re going to be seeded or if you’re going to make the tournament.”
Auburn tips off against Murray State at 5:00 p.m. CST in Auburn Arena. This will be a last look at the Tigers before SEC play descends upon them, so it will be worth seeing what improvements the team is able to make.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.
Callie Stanford is from Springville, Alabama and is currently a sophomore at Auburn. She has been with The Plainsman since January 2021.
Twitter: @Stanford1Callie
