After suffering back-to-back losses against Alabama and Mississippi State in a long road trip, Auburn (16-4, 5-2 SEC) basketball has a huge shot to come back home and win against the Vanderbilt Commodores (5-14, 0-6 SEC) Wednesday.
The Dores are still looking for their first conference win this season. They gave the No. 5-ranked Tennessee Volunteers a hard time in Nashville last Saturday, outscoring them 35-30 in the first half. The Vols had a much stronger second half and won the game 75-62.
Monday, the Tigers dropped from No. 8 in the AP Poll to No. 16 after those losses.
Freshman Aden Holloway has struggled the past two games, only scoring nine points combined against the Tide and Bulldogs. He was 0-for-7 in Tuscaloosa and 2-for-8 in Starkville in field goals.
On the other hand, junior Johni Broome has been carrying the load for the Tigers, as he was the scoring leader in both games. The 6-foot-10 forward has also used his size to help the Tigers get rebounds as he was also the leading rebounder.
Although head coach Bruce Pearl is not happy with those two losses, he remains optimistic about the rest of the season and how the Tigers still have a long way to go. He posted a positive tweet on X to thank the Auburn Family for their support and that his team is not going anywhere this season.
“Hey Auburn family… we are not happy at all with losing 2 on the road this week. But we lost to two very good teams, we were competitive in both and didn’t shoot well in either,” Pearl said. “We will continue to work, play hard and compete. We care and we appreciate your passion! War Eagle!”
As stated by Pearl, the Tigers uncharacteristically had a hard time hitting their shots those games, as well as not playing aggressive in the first half. Their three-point shooting has especially gotten worse, hitting only 11 3-pointers in both games combined, while the Tide had the same number of threes against Auburn alone.
Wednesday's game could be the night where the Tigers find back their rhythm and prove they’re still one of the top dogs in SEC basketball. They need to focus more on their three-point shooting and rebounding because that was why they were in the Top 10 in the AP Poll in the first place.
Then on Saturday, the Tigers will once again be on the road as they travel to Oxford to face the Ole Miss Rebels once again.
They beat the Rebs by 23 points earlier this month at home, but this won’t mean their road game against them will be the same challenge. The Rebels have not lost a game at home with their improved home-court advantage, and they will bring the pressure on the Tigers to get back a spot in the Top 25 AP Poll.
The Tigers take on the Dores Wednesday in Neville Arena at 8 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcasted on ESPN 2.
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Albert Osorio is a senior from Hoover, Alabama, who is majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in January 2024.
