Following back-to-back wins over ranked opponents without national player of the year candidate Johni Broome, Auburn men’s basketball remains at No. 1 in the AP poll after making the jump to the top spot a week ago – marking the fifth week ever ranked No. 1 in program history.
Monday’s ranking marks the 41st time in program history, and 21st under Pearl the Tigers are in the AP top-five.
The Tigers are one of nine SEC teams ranked this week – with four ranked in the Top 10. Auburn is followed by conference members; No. 4 Alabama, No. 5 Florida, No. 6 Tennessee, No. 9 Kentucky, No. 13 Texas A&M, No. 14 Mississippi State, No. 16 Ole Miss and No. 22 Missouri.
Pearl and his squad already have 10 quad-one wins in their first 18 games of the season. The Tigers’ average margin of victory against its 10 quad-one opponents is 13.5 points.
Auburn has wins against six teams in this week’s AP top 25; No. 3 Iowa State, No. 7 Houston, No. 11 Purdue, No. 14 Mississippi State, No. 22 Missouri and No. 24 Memphis.
The Tigers also ranked second in the KenPom metric system – trailing No. 1 Duke by a 0.6 margin – with wins over three teams in the metric’s top-10; No. 3 Iowa State, No. 4 Houston and No. 10 Purdue.
The top ranked Tigers return home to face No. 6 Tennessee after a midweek bye on Saturday, Jan. 25 at 7:30 p.m. CST on ESPN in the annual AUTLIVE cancer game for Pearl and the Tigers. College Gameday will also be on the scene as it airs the weekly show from inside Neville Arena at 10 a.m. CST on Saturday. ‘
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.
Patrick is a junior from Auburn, Alabama, double majoring in journalism and marketing. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2022.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @patrickabingham
