OXFORD, MS - FEBRUARY 03 - Auburn's Chaney Johnson (31), Auburn's Johni Broome (4) during the game between the #16 Auburn Tigers and the Ole Miss Rebels at The Sandy and John Black Pavilion in Oxford, MS on Saturday, Feb. 3, 2024. Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers
After a steady ascent into the rankings, stunning Auburn jumps into the top 10 before of Alabama’s match.
Auburn, Alabama (AP) – If anyone was keeping tabs on Auburn’s team before to the season, Johni Broome had a prediction.
Back in October, the standout post player for the Tigers predicted that they will “be woken up real soon.”
It took longer than he may have thought, in fact. However, as of Wednesday night’s game against rival Alabama (12-6, 4-1), Auburn (16-2, 5-0 SEC) is ranked seventh and has been on an 11-game winning run, the longest active binge among Power Five teams.
For a squad that appeared to stop just outside the Top 25 before eventually breaking into the rankings on January 1, their rise has been swift. Voters may have been less forgiving of the Tigers’ first defeat to No. 18 Baylor, but with their defeat to Appalachian State—currently leading the Sun Belt Conference—they may have been more dubious.
Since then, the Tigers have not lost.
Coach Bruce Pearl is trying to moderate his guys’ bluster a little. The truth is that harder games are ahead, and Auburn has only faced two teams who are ranked; last weekend, they defeated Mississippi, which was ranked 22 at the time, 82-59.
“And I still have that feeling.”
The Razorbacks’ greatest defeat at Bud Walton Arena came against the Tigers, who have won those 11 games by an average of 21.8 points, including routs of Ole Miss and at Arkansas (83-51).
“Coach Pearl performed a fantastic job there. Coach Nate Oats of the Crimson Tide stated, “He’s got them playing at an elite level.” “If you look at the previous 11 games, people are getting plowed through.
“They have good ball placement. They’re exerting a lot of defensive effort. They are quite profound. Bench scoring-wise, they rank third in the country. They don’t have a lot of defects.
