AUBURN | Auburn has passed its pre-conference tests with flying colors so far, but there’s more work to do.

The 2nd-ranked Tigers are 9-1, No. 1 nationally in the NET rankings and tied with Memphis with a nation’s best five Quad 1 wins.

Next up for AU is Tuesday night’s game against Georgia State, a battle against No. 16 Purdue in Birmingham and Monmouth back at home before beginning a brutal SEC schedule that begins with Missouri, which beat No. 1 Kansas a week ago.

“We just honestly take them one game at a time,” said AU coach Bruce Pearl. “It's from the standpoint of, we're not reflecting on where we are right now. We are working on areas that we think we have to get better.

“To play the caliber schedule that we played, and be in a position we're in right now is certain everything I could have hoped for.”

The Panthers will enter the matchup 4-6 overall, which includes blowout losses at Mississippi State and Kentucky. They are led by senior forward Zarique Nutter who averages 17.9 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.

GSU’s talented frontcourt also includes center Cesare Edwards, who averages 11.8 points and 7.1 rebounds, and forward Nick McMullen, who averages 10.0 points and 9.9 rebounds.

“Georgia State is such a talented team, and a really well-coached team,” said Pearl. “They play really, really hard. They've got sort of an SEC athlete-caliber group of starters. They've got great size. They've got a really good inside game.

“Our frontline will be challenged along the lines of, say, a Memphis or an Iowa State. Again, it's a very, very experienced roster with great speed and quickness and athleticism.”

Tip-off at Neville Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT on SECN+/ESPN+.