AUBURN | Sharife Cooper has transformed Auburn in his first six games in the lineup.
Tuesday night’s 88-82 win over No. 12 Missouri was another step forward and big confidence boost heading into an even tougher challenge Saturday.
“It just gives you confidence, just going out there and playing a team that you know is No. 12 in the country,” Cooper said. “They're one of the best teams in the country, so we feel like we can compete with anybody after you've won one of those games.
“It's big for our confidence as a team individually, and I think we can build on it.”
The next test is a road game at No. 2 Baylor, which is 14-0 on the season and has lost one home game in the last 22 months. The Bears lead the country with a +24.1 scoring margin.
Former Auburn player, Davion Mitchell, is Baylor’s point guard averaging 11.5 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
The Tigers, which play nine freshmen and sophomores, will enter the game 8-3 against its last 11 ranked opponents.
“The fact that this team can beat a ranked opponent is a great sign. And, we’re just going to try and build on it if we possibly can,” said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. “We have a lot to play for and we’ll be playing on national television on Saturday against arguably the best team in the country.
“So, that’s why the guys came to Auburn and I’m proud of how much we’ve improved. I think the locker room is doing a pretty good job of staying engaged. We played 10 guys and 10 guys contributed. We played 10 guys and nine guys scored. Pretty good.”
Auburn is 4-2 since Cooper earned his eligibility Jan. 8 with the two losses coming by a combined six points. The freshman is averaging 22.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.0 steals per game. He made a school-record 18 free throws against Mizzou.
The Tigers also blocked 14 shots to increase their nation-leading total to 106 this season.
Tip-off at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN.
** Coverage from the Missouri game...
