The stage is set in the desert as No. 20 Auburn will duel No. 2 Arizona out west in prime time Saturday night.
This marquee matchup provides a massive opportunity for the Tigers to build their resume. A victory at McKale Memorial Center would pay dividends on Selection Sunday for the orange and blue.
This will be Auburn’s first true road test, as they’ve been on the road in Birmingham, Alabama, against Houston last month and at a neutral site in Las Vegas, Nevada.
We will find out fast if Steven Pearl’s squad are road warriors as they’re being thrown right into the fire, visiting one of the best teams in college basketball. The Wildcats enter Saturday undefeated (7-0) and already have huge wins over Florida, UCLA, and UConn.
In Auburn’s 102-72 loss to Michigan at the Players Era Tournament, the Wolverines’ height really gave the Tigers a problem, losing the rebounding battle 51-35. Unfortunately for Auburn, the Wildcats are the eighth-tallest team in the country and have outrebounded opponents 298-208 so far this season.
“A really good team on a quick turnaround and quick prep,” Pearl said. “We’re going to have our hands full, but I know our guys are excited about the opportunity.”
One player who is definitely excited to board a plane to travel is Auburn star Tahaad Pettiford. The sophomore is slumping right now at Neville Arena shooting 32.6% from the field, 21.3% from three, and averaging 12.4 points per game on the Plains. However, away from home Pettiford is one of the most electrifying players in the game, shooting 46.4% from the field, 45.5% from behind the arc, and 20 points per game.
Freshman Sebastian Williams-Adams is coming off a seven point performance in Auburn’s win against NC State. While his numbers in the box score don’t jump off the page, the Houston, native, impacts the game in a variety of ways including on the defensive end.
“I’m very excited about it. It’s an amazing opportunity, prime time Saturday hoops game, it should be an amazing environment. I can’t wait to go out and play,” Williams-Adams said. “We are a team that will keep fighting until the final whistle. We don’t think a game is over. That will help in conference play because we’re going to play tough teams.”
The duel in Tucson, Arizona, will tip off at 9 p.m. CST. The Tigers will have to play a near perfect game to pull off an upset as they’re currently 8.5 point underdogs.
“It’s going to be really good for us to see how we handle it,” Pearl said. “Our first true road game against a beyond-quality opponent will help us see where we’re at. We’re going to play some tough road games in the SEC too so it’s good that we’re going to get one under our belt before conference play starts.”
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Rory is a sophomore majoring in journalism sports production. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @RorymGarvin
