Cooper will travel

AUBURN | Auburn could get its best player back for Tuesday night’s trip to No. 8 Alabama.

After missing two consecutive games with an ankle injury, Sharife Cooper will travel with his teammates to Tuscaloosa as the Tigers try to build on Saturday’s 77-72 win over No. 25 Tennessee.

“Well, Sharife will travel with us to Tuscaloosa. He wasn't able to go yesterday. We'll see how he feels today,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “We're not pushing him, but I do think he's pushing himself. And the harder he pushes, the better chance he's got to get back whatever it is that he's going to get back. But he didn't practice yesterday, but he will travel.”

Cooper injured his left ankle during a practice Feb. 21 missing games against Florida and the Volunteers. He’s averaging a team-best 20.2 points and 8.1 assists per game.

Fellow freshman guard Justin Powell has missed the previous 15 games with a concussion but was back on Auburn’s sidelines Saturday for the first time since suffering the injury Jan. 2.

“He's lifting, he's shooting, he's moving, but I think because he got shut down for so long it would be a mountain too tall for him to climb,” said Pearl of Powell returning this season. “If there was postseason, would you look at maybe pushing him back sooner? Maybe, but he's not practiced yet. I would say continue to be doubtful.”

Tip-off at Coleman Coliseum is set for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.