Top-ranked Auburn has withstood the best shots the Southeastern Conference has had to offer through seven games, managing to remain perfect in the nation’s best basketball conference.
The Tigers (19-1, 7-0 SEC) will look to keep it that way Saturday when they face No. 23 Ole Miss (16-5, 5-3) in Oxford, Miss., in the first of two matchups between the programs in February.
As the top dog in the country — or cats in Auburn’s case — wins have not always come easily as head coach Bruce Pearl’s bunch seemingly gets opponents’ top effort on a nightly basis.
That includes very close wins over then-No. 23 Georgia and then-No. 6 Tennessee in the past two weeks.
Pearl’s best ploy to stay atop standings and polls is to rely on veteran big man Johni Broome as a go-to weapon.
The clubhouse leader as the conference’s Player of the Year and maybe National Player of the Year as well, Broome has combined to be the Tigers’ top scorer and rebounder in 13 of 20 games by dominating down low.
As a sophomore in his first of three seasons on the Plains, Broome adapted to playing in a power conference after arriving from Morehead State, averaging 14.2 points per game with 8.4 rebounds. Those stats grew to 16.5/8.5 last season.
Broome has upped his current output to 18.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.8 blocks — all career highs.
“I think when everybody was fatigued, Johni’s physicality took over,” Pearl stated after Broome’s 26-point, 16-rebound, three-block outing in Wednesday’ 87-74 win at LSU.
Broome has played two games since returning from a two-game absence because of a left ankle sprain.
While Broome is second in the SEC in scoring and leads in rebounding, he gets help from Chad Baker-Mazara (12.7 points), Tahaad Pettiford (11.7), Miles Kelly (10.5) and Denver Jones (10.0) on the offensive end.
Auburn will need that depth Saturday against the Rebels, who already have upset over a team ranked in the top five.
After losing to three straight ranked opponents by a combined 12 points, including one in overtime, Ole Miss earned a 72-69 win over Texas behind two free throws from Davon Barnes with eight seconds left Wednesday.
The senior guard failed at the line two games prior, missing a free throw with 19 seconds left and allowing No. 13 Texas A&M’s Manny Obaseki to hit a game-winning 3-pointer in a 63-62 shocker.
Facing Texas for the first time since the Longhorns fired him in 2023, Rebels coach Chris Beard knew Barnes, who went 6 for 6 at the stripe, would make both freebies to give himself and Barnes revenge and redemption, respectively.
Beard went by the basketball arena a few days after the Texas A&M defeat and saw Barnes late at night shooting free throws.
“When you see that as a coach, you’re just really proud of that,” Beard said. “That’s how life works. When things don’t go your way, you can either take your ball, go home and start making excuses or you can get back to the gym and start practicing.”
Sean Pedulla starred against Texas with 19 points and tops the squad with 14.5 points per game.
Ole Miss tied a season-low with four turnovers in snapping its three-game losing streak.
The Rebels’ biggest victory so far was at Alabama, defeating the then-No. 4 Crimson Tide 74-64 on Jan. 14.
–Field Level Media
