AUBURN | For a team made primarily of freshmen and sophomores, Auburn has managed the non-conference portion of its schedule pretty well with a 6-2 record.
But the challenge becomes considerably tougher this week as undefeated Arkansas visits to kickoff SEC play.
“Arkansas will finish in the top five of our league. So, it’ll be a really good — you know, a real step up for us,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “The question for us is: how much step up do we have? Because we are, you know, really young. You know, youngest team I’ve ever coached.
“Our guys have worked hard. They’ve gotten better. They’ve been incredibly disciplined through the COVID. The question is, are we old enough to be able to handle the pressure that Arkansas will put on us.”
Pearl expects that Arkansas pressure to specifically target Auburn’s young and inexperienced point guard position. Freshman Justin Powell has taken change of the position with sophomore Allen Flanigan starting at wing and backing up Powell at the point.
Freshman Sharife Cooper, Auburn’s highest-rated signee of all time, continues to await the NCAA to rule on his initial eligibility while sophomore Tyrell Jones, who began the season as the starter, announced his transfer to South Alabama this week after falling to third in the rotation.
“They’ll press Justin, they’ll press Al,” Pearl said. “Arkansas does a great job with their pressure trying to turn people over so that’s going to be something we’re going to have to handle.”
The Razorbacks will field a veteran team with three graduates and three juniors among their top seven. This will be their first road game, however, after winning their first eight games in Bud Walton Arena.
Normally, that would be a big advantage for the Tigers in Auburn Arena, but this is not a normal time due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“If Auburn Arena was alive and well with The Jungle and a sellout crowd and everything, yeah, I would say that we have an advantage but I don’t think there’s going to be as much of a home-court advantage for anybody in college basketball,” Pearl said.
Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2.
