Auburn Live Basketball Show: Tigers keep rolling, win fourth straight SEC game
There are certainly teams that are garnering more attention than Auburn in the SEC for various reasons, but the Tigers have now quietly won four straight games and sit near the top of the conference standings, just one game behind Alabama, and tied with Tennessee at 5-1.
Watch as contributor Jay Phillips and senior writer Justin Hokanson discuss Auburn’s wins over Mississippi State and LSU, the Tigers’ outlook on the season and much more on this week’s Auburn Live Basketball Show.
Balance is Auburn’s key ingredient
Reporting from the On3 Sports news desk.
Auburn knocked off LSU on Wednesday night to win its fourth straight SEC game, dusting the Bayou Bengals 67-49 with a simple thing coach Bruce Pearl called Auburn’s ‘calling card.’
Balance.
“That balance is what our calling card is,” Pearl said. “Again, we’ve got some guys that can win their position in this league. And we had some guys win their position.”
Take one look at the box score from Wednesday night’s win and you’ll likely get the concept. Five different Auburn players scored at least eight points in the contest, while nine different guys managed to put up points.
Jaylin Williams and Wendell Green Jr. both scored 14 to lead the charge.
“Wendell won his position. Jaylin won his position,” Pearl said. “(Allen Flanigan) and Lior (Berman) combined probably won their position, and that was very, very significant. (Trae) Hannibal had a big game and KJ Williams had a big game, but otherwise we won our positions and I think that balance is a good thing moving forward.”
Bruce Pearl knows Auburn can be really dangerous
Even before the contest against LSU the Auburn head coach was beginning to see what his squad could become.
Auburn’s calling card, that balance across the lineup, has been evident in recent weeks. And the Tigers seem to be clicking into form as they head into the heart of SEC play.
During his postgame press conference after the Mississippi State win on Jan. 14, Pearl answered a question about how dangerous Auburn can be when clicking on all cylinders. He says the consistency of his group makes all the difference and, so far, it shows in their record.
“What I talk to the guys about now… I just complimented them on the position they put themselves in. They’ve put themselves in a great position at 14-3,” Pearl said. “Can we take advantage of it by continuing to have guys step up and improve?”
After another win on Wednesday night thanks to Auburn’s calling card, that answer for the time being remains a resounding ‘yes.’
