Head Coach Steven Pearl and the Auburn Tigers men’s basketball team have been on their roughest stretch of the season over the past two weeks.
After winning four conference games, including a victory against the reigning national champions, Florida, the Tigers have dropped four straight games and currently hold a 5-7 record in the SEC.
They will be hoping to break this streak this week, however, as they travel to Starkville, Mississippi, to take on the unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs who have also been struggling in SEC play.
Auburn will be getting back the services of star forward Keyshawn Hall. The senior did not play in the Tigers’ loss to Arkansas last Saturday due to disciplinary reasons, but will return to the lineup Wednesday night. He’s been the Tigers’ leading scorer and rebounder and is currently the third-highest scorer in the SEC this year.
On a brighter note for the Tigers, sophomore guard Tahaad Pettiford has recorded three straight games with 20 or more points and five or more assists. Pettiford had an inconsistent first half of the season, but if the second-year Tiger can continue his strong performances into March, he could significantly boost his draft stock.
One of the biggest storylines from the game centers around Auburn forward and center, KeShawn Murphy. Murphy is coming off a career-best performance against Arkansas, in which he scored a career-high 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.
Murphy will face his former team, the Bulldogs, for the first time since transferring to Auburn over the summer. Ever since Auburn’s center, Emeka Oporum, went down with an injury early in the year, Murphy has taken over the position and performed quite well, becoming one of the Tigers’ most impactful transfers.
Mississippi State’s biggest advantage, which may prove difficult for Auburn, is the size of its frontcourt. The Bulldogs have three players listed at 6'11" or taller, and they rank in the top half of the SEC in both team rebounds and blocks per game. They do tend to be foul-prone, however, committing the most fouls of any team in the conference this year. This could work directly to the Tigers’ advantage, as Auburn has drawn the third-most fouls of any team in the nation so far this season.
While the Bulldogs’ scoring offense this year has been less than ideal, they do have the SEC’s leading scorer in junior guard Josh Hubbard, who is currently averaging 21.4 points per game.
Hubbard has been Mississippi State’s most important player this season without a doubt. Not only does he lead the team in scoring, but he also leads in assists and steals per game. If Auburn can slow down Hubbard in at least one of these areas, it will greatly enhance its chances of winning.
As tournament play draws closer, now is the time for Auburn to play its best basketball in hopes of securing a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive season. A conference road win could be the best way to improve its chances.
Make sure to catch the Tigers this Wednesday as they take on the unranked Mississippi State Bulldogs on the road at 8:00 p.m. CST on ESPN2.
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Jonathan is a freshman majoring in industrial and systems engineering. He started with The Plainsman in the fall of 2025.
