After Auburn soundly defeated Indiana on Saturday in Atlanta, 104-76, Auburn turns its attention to a new opponent. Auburn will take on the University of North Carolina Asheville.
This is the fifth all-time meeting between the Tigers and the Bulldogs. The last time these two played was in the 2018-2019 season, with Auburn taking home a 67-41 victory. Auburn leads the all-time series, 3-1 with the Bulldogs winning in a 2010 game that went to overtime.
UNC Asheville is coming off one of its best seasons in program history. The Bulldogs finished 27-8, winning both the Big South regular season, and conference championship. The Bulldogs lost to UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Auburn's season so far has been up and down with victories over programs like Indiana and defeats to programs like Appalachian State. Auburn is still finding its footing. When Auburn is firing on all cylinders, it has looked like one of the best teams in the country. When the Tigers are sputtering, it is tough for the Tigers to win.
For head coach Bruce Pearl, he said this upcoming game against UNC Asheville reminds him a lot of the Appalachian State game due to where it falls over a three-game stretch of the schedule.
"This is a trap game," said head coach Bruce Pearl. "Kind of feels a lot like the Appalachian State game. Having just beaten a really good Virginia Tech team, then we go on to App State and then the next one's Indiana. We just beat a really good Indiana team. We go play Asheville in Huntsville and then Southern Cal coming in Sunday."
UNC Asheville has struggled out of the gate. However, some of its losses are to bigger programs. At 5-5 on the season, the Bulldogs losses are to Michigan, UNC Wilmington, Lipscomb, Kennesaw State and Western Carolina.
Auburn's star players consist of the likes of Aden Hollowa and Johni Broome. Holloway, after a tough outing versus the Mountaineers of Appalachian State, came back with a vengeance. He put up his best game so far this season, scoring 24 points against Indiana.
The Bulldogs bring in one of the best kept secrets in the country with center Drew Pember. A transfer from the University of Tennessee, Pember has dominated the Big South for the last few seasons with the Bulldogs.
Pember last season was named Big South Player of the Year and Big South Male Athlete of the Year as well. Pember was one of the best mid-major players in college basketball last season – averaging 20.9 points, 9.1 rebounds and over two blocks per game.
"They got a kid that might be a pro in Pember," Pearl said. "... he's very skilled offensively, so good player, great environment, looking forward to it."
Broome will have his hands full with Pember when Auburn faces the Bulldogs. However it should be a great battle of two of the best centers in college basketball.
Auburn will face UNC Asheville on Wednesday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m. CST in Huntsville, Alabama, for the Rocket City Classic in the Von Braun Center. This game will be streamed on ESPN+.
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TP is a senior from Montgomery, Alabama, majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in fall 2022.
Twitter: @tp_hammock
