No. 1 Auburn has gotten off to one of the best starts in the program’s history. The Tigers’ 20-1 record features 12 wins over Quad 1 opponents, meaning they have faced no shortage of high-level competition.

Following Auburn’s 92-82 road win over No. 23 Ole Miss on Saturday afternoon, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl cited his team’s respect for the competition as the reason for its success.

“I think we really respect our opponent,” Pearl said. “You see the way the guys are dialed in, listening. Of course, Steven Pearl had a phenomenal scout tonight. Just did a phenomenal job.”

The Tigers’ win over the Rebels was not easy. It had to fight off multiple pushes Ole Miss made in attempts to take control, but Auburn held strong every time en route to its ninth win over a ranked opponent this season.

“Guys just made plays. They want to win for Auburn,” Pearl said. “They recognize this is a special team, and they want to make history. We played some beautiful basketball. I think the coolest thing about this was that (in front of) ESPN's national television audience, every time Ole Miss made a run, we answered.”

The Tigers successfully used their size and ability to play physically to their advantage, both areas that Ole Miss was unable to compete in. Its physical play resulted in Auburn being called for six more fouls, however.

“That's how you prepare and that's how you play,” Pearl said. “I just thought our physicality, obviously, was a big factor. And Ole Miss played hard. We're just a little bigger on the front line, and our front line dominated.”

The ability to handle business on the road separates good teams from great teams, and Auburn is determined to prove itself as a great team.

“We led the game for like 34 or 35 minutes. And that's just hard to do on the road,” Pearl said. “But that is how the No. 1 team in the country acts.”