Last Wednesday, the Tigers had a dominant win against their rivals from the other side of the state, taking down the Alabama Crimson Tide in the Jungle 99-81. They have a shot to bring themselves back in the top 10 this Saturday, by going to Gainesville to face the Florida Gators.
The Gators are coming off a loss in College Station by losing a close game to the Texas A&M Aggies 67-66. However, they went into Rupp Arena walking out winners against the Kentucky Wildcats 94-91 the game before.
The last time these two opponents met, Auburn came up with the victory, defeating Florida in Neville Arena 61-58 in a close game last season. However, the Tigers’ last trip to Gainesville was a bummer for Auburn, as it lost to the Gators 63-62 in the 2021-2022 season.
The Tigers tied for first in the Southeastern conference with South Carolina and Alabama. The Gators, on the other hand, sit at sixth place in the standings.
The Tigers have an 8-2 conference record, with their losses coming from Alabama and Mississippi State in Tuscaloosa and in Starkville. The Gatos have a 5-4 conference record, losing to Tennessee, Texas A&M and Ole Miss on the road, and Kentucky at home.
The Tigers redeemed themselves from that disastrous road trip at Mississippi State by winning three straight against Vanderbilt at home, Ole Miss on the road and Alabama in a revenge game in The Jungle. All of Auburn's losses have come away from the Jungle, so this will be a big test.
Fifth-year veteran Jaylin Williams is coming off one of the best games of his career yet, scoring a career-high 26 points, while also recording six rebounds against Alabama last Wednesday. Williams also led the Tigers with 16 points against Ole Miss in Oxford last Saturday, so he will be an important piece for his team to win this Saturday.
Morehead State transfer Johni Broome will also be a valuable piece for the Tigers on Saturday, as he is having a breakout year so far this season. Broome scored 24 points and seven rebounds against Alabama last Wednesday, while scoring 15 points and nine rebounds against Ole Miss last Saturday.
Head coach Bruce Pearl is aware that the Gators can be a deadly team in their home. Their only home loss is against Kentucky in a narrow defeat, but Pearl’s team could be bait to the Gators due to their high ranking. Auburn has also not defeated Florida on the road since 1996.
Pearl also mentioned Todd Golden, the current head coach of the Gators and former assistant coach of the Tigers. This is his second year as head coach with the Gators and was the assistant coach for the Tigers from 2014-2016.
"They’ve only lost once at home," Pearl said. "And obviously we go in there with a big number on our head. Coach Todd Golden is one of our former assistants, and he's done a fantastic job rebuilding that program."
Auburn basketball will face Florida in Gainesville on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 2:30 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcasted on the SEC Network.
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Albert Osorio is a senior from Hoover, Alabama, who is majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in January 2024.
