Coming off a 2-0 start to the Steven Pearl era, Auburn returns to action Tuesday at Neville Arena to host Wofford.
It was a roller coaster of emotions last week for the Tigers to kick off their 2025-26 season. After narrowly escaping the upset against Bethune-Cookman in overtime on Monday, the Tigers exploded for a blowout win on Thursday, defeating Merrimack 95-57. Auburn looks to build on that performance Tuesday.
Auburn’s offense has gotten off to a hot start to begin the season, scoring 95 points in both games. At the head of this explosive offensive attack is forward Keyshawn Hall. The senior transfer from UCF has wasted no time making his presence felt on the Plains, averaging 26.5 points on 54.2% shooting to go along with his 11.0 rebounds through two games. The current SEC scoring leader credits his teammates and coaches for his hot start.
“Here at Auburn, I don’t think I have to try as much. Both coaches let me play freely… my teammates all just try to find me, and they always hype me up and give me courage and confidence,” Hall said.
True freshman Sebastian Williams-Adams has also been a bright spot for the Tigers so far, averaging 14.5 points on an efficient 62.5% shooting while also being a standout defensive presence in his first two career games. Tiger fans are still waiting on sophomore phenom Tahaad Pettiford to get going, as his 12 points per game on 30.8% from the field haven’t matched what he showed down the stretch last year. It’s only a matter of time until the preseason All-SEC first-team guard gets hot, and when he does, the Tigers might just have one of the nation’s top offenses. Tuesday’s matchup will give the Tigers another chance to showcase this to the country.
The Tigers’ opponent on Tuesday will be the Wofford Terriers. The Terriers finished last year 19-16, winning the Southern Conference tournament and making the NCAA Tournament for just the sixth time in the program’s history. To start this season, the Terriers are 1-1, dropping their season opener to George Mason 70-46 but rebounding to defeat Milwaukee 86-76 on Sunday. Wofford finds itself in a similar situation to Auburn. Like Auburn, the Terriers are in their first year under new leadership. Head coach Kevin Giltner took over for Dwight Perry after he was fired in September. Wofford also has just three returning players from last season’s tournament squad, none of whom were starters last year.
Wofford is a smaller team that likes to utilize a small-ball lineup. Against Milwaukee, the Terriers started four guards and a forward. The Terriers’ game plan is simple: use their guards’ quickness to push the pace of play and rely on their guards’ ability to get to the basket. Due to their lack of size, however, Wofford struggles to guard opposing big men while also struggling to grab rebounds. In their loss to George Mason, the Terriers allowed 34 points in the paint and 11 second-chance points. Don’t be surprised if KeyShawn Murphy and Sebastian Williams-Adams are a big part of Auburn’s game plan Tuesday as the Tigers exploit the height difference between the two teams.
The Tigers will look to remain undefeated in the Steven Pearl era Tuesday. Both the Tigers and Terriers are in similar spots — with a new head coach and a roster still trying to find their identity early in the season. With a clear advantage in size and athleticism, the Tigers should dominate the paint and control the tempo against a smaller Wofford squad. If they do that, another convincing win could be on the horizon Tuesday at Neville Arena.
Tipoff between Auburn and Wofford is set for 7 p.m. CST on ESPN+.
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Cooper is a freshman majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
