Takeaways: Bruce Pearl talks challenge of Appalachian State on the road, defending without fouling and more

AUBURN -- Auburn basketball (5-1) will hit the road on Saturday traveling to Boone, North Carolina for a matchup against Sun Belt foe Appalachian State on Sunday. The Mountaineers are ranked No. 112 per T-Rank and No. 101 per KenPom. Auburn is ranked No. 14 per T-Rank and No. 16 per KenPom. The game was scheduled over three years ago. Auburn hosted Appalachian State in December of 2020, winning by 14 points. The return trip is one Bruce Pearl is looking forward to in hopes his team experiences growth. "Going on the road to Appalachian State, they are picked second in the Sun Belt behind 25th-ranked James Madison. What started out looking like a really good road game against a good mid-major, maybe someone not quite the caliber of a SEC team, turns into more like a team that would be in the lower half of the SEC. They are a good team," Pearl said. "They have good size, high-major athletes, they are well coached." More from Pearl inside...