Following yet another tough loss, Auburn basketball looks to conclude its home slate inside Neville Arena on a winning note as it welcomes fellow Tiger squad LSU to town for a crucial must-win contest on Wednesday night.
“We’re still in control of our own destiny,” said Auburn head coach Steven Pearl. “If you win these next two, you’re probably in. We’ve got to do everything we can to beat LSU. Through all the difficulty and all the struggles, we’re still in position to make the tournament.”
After a historic 2025 season, Auburn fans did not expect to be in jeopardy of not making the tournament, but a recent skid full of struggles has seemed to put Pearl’s Tigers on the outside looking in. Auburn has dropped seven of its last eight games, with its sole victory coming from a last-second basket to top Kentucky. Many projections have the Tigers on the bubble for March Madness, but it seems these last two regular-season games will make or break Auburn’s unfortunate season.
“We still have a chance to do everything we want to accomplish, as crazy as that continues to sound at 15-14,” Pearl said. “We played the schedule we’ve played so we could put ourselves in position to still be able to get into the tournament if you’re able to win some of those games.”
LSU got off to a hot start by winning its first eight games of the season, but it will enter the Plains with the same record as Auburn following many blunders as of late. Conference play has been this team’s Achilles heel, as just three of sixteen games against SEC foes have resulted in a win for the Tigers from Baton Rouge, making these final games must-win as well.
“They’re a team that’s still playing with a lot of confidence and energy,” Pearl said. “We’ve got to play with purpose in order to beat them.”
Seniors have been the story of LSU’s season, with forward Marquel Dutton ranking near the top of the SEC stat sheet in rebounds with 7.3 per game, while guard Max Mackinnon leads the Tigers offensively with 15.5 points per game.
Auburn will also lean on its seniors leading the stat sheet in hopes of defeating LSU while they celebrate new standouts Keyshawn Hall and Keshawn Murphy as well as walk-ons Reed Trapp and CJ Williams, student managers Hayes Sampson, Thomas Palmer, and Cole Koon, and social media intern Josie Scalici.
“Really hoping we can send those two guys out on a strong note,” Pearl said about Hall and Murphy, while thanking the managers for their support. “Super appreciative of them and all their efforts.”
Auburn has fared well recently against LSU, winning the last five of six matchups going back to 2020, and will look to keep its winning trends going in the right direction. Despite their success this decade, LSU still holds the all-time series lead with a 69-63 record over the course of the team's history.
Tip-off inside of Neville Arena is set for a late 9:00 P.M. CST start, and the conference matchup will be televised on SEC Network.
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Will is a sophomore majoring in journalism. He started with The Plainsman in the spring of 2025.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @willdembo
