Auburn basketball’s toughest non-conference games during the Bruce Pearl era

AUBURN — The Auburn basketball non-conference schedule for the 2023-24 season is nearing completion following the announcement of the Tigers’ matchup against Baylor to start the season. The game will be played in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on November 7.

Baylor has finished inside the KenPom top 20 in each of the last four seasons, including finishing inside the top five in the 2020, ’21 and ’22 seasons. ESPN’s “way-too-early” rankings place Baylor at No. 20 entering the summer, as the Bears are rebuilding their backcourt.

Who are Auburn’s top-ranked non-conference games during the Bruce Pearl tenure? Here’s that list according to KenPom’s final rankings.

No. 1 GONZAGA, 2020-21 SEASON

A young and rebuilding Auburn team played No. 1 Gonzaga in Fort Myers, Fla. in November, falling 90-67. Allen Flanigan led the Tigers with 20 points, including 15 in the second half. Auburn finished the season 13-14 overall. Gonzaga went on to be 31-0 before losing to Baylor in the national title game. Auburn didn’t play in the SEC Tournament or NCAA Tournament due to a self-imposed postseason ban.

No. 4 DUKE, 2018-19 SEASON

No. 8 Auburn faced No. 1 Duke and their incredibly hyped-up team featuring Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett in the Maui Invitational in Hawaii. The Tigers fell 78-72 after outscoring the Blue Devils by two in the second half. Jared Harper scored 22 points, hitting five threes in the game. Auburn continued their run against “blue bloods” of college basketball in the NCAA Tournament, beating Kansas, North Carolina and Kentucky consecutively on the way to the Final Four. Duke finished 32-6, earning a 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 18 XAVIER, 2015-16 SEASON

Auburn made the return trip to Xavier in Pearl’s second season and the Tigers didn’t fare as well, losing 85-61 on the road in Cincinnati. Kareem Canty led Auburn with 25 points in the loss to then No. 10-ranked Musketeers. Auburn finished 11-20 that season, while Xavier finished 28-6, earning a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 19 PURDUE, 2016-17 SEASON

Auburn played Purdue during a preseason tournament in Cancun, falling 96-71 behind 17 three-pointers by the then No. 17-ranked Boilermakers. The Tigers trailed by only two at halftime. Danjel Purifoy led Auburn with 22 points. Due to vacated games, Auburn officially finished the season with a 6-14 season. Purdue finished 27-8, earning a 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 19 WEST VIRGINIA/No. 20 MEMPHIS, 2022-23 SEASON

Auburn came back from a 16-point halftime deficit in Morgantown, W.V. last season to cut the lead to one point on two different occasions in the final minutes, but fell 80-77 in the end. Jaylin Williams led the Tigers with 18 points. Earlier in the season, then No. 11 Auburn fell to Memphis 82-73 in the Holiday Hoopsgiving game played in Atlanta in December. K.D. Johnson and Wendell Green Jr. each cored 14 points in the loss. The Tigers finished 21-13, earning a 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament. West Virginia finished 19-15, earning a 8 seed in the tournament, while Memphis finished 26-9, earning a 8 seed in the tournament.

No. 21 XAVIER, 2014-15 SEASON

Auburn knocked off Xavier 89-88 in double overtime inside then Auburn Arena during a December non-conference game in Pearl’s first season. KT Harrell’s 24 points led the way, as Auburn scored 48 second-half points. The Tigers finished 15-20 that season. Xavier finished 23-14, earning a 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 22 UCONN, 2021-22 SEASON

No. 19 Auburn played then No. 22 UConn in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in November, falling 115-109 in double overtime. K.D. Johnson led Auburn with 27 points, 23 coming in the second half and overtimes. The Tigers finished 28-6, winning the SEC regular season title and earning a 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. UConn earned a 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, using the season to springboard into their national title in the 2022-23 season.

No. 45 MIDDLE TENNESSEE STATE, 2017-18 SEASON

Middle Tennessee State finished 25-8 that season, but Auburn took care of business 76-70 in a December neutral-site game in Birmingham. Mustapha Heron and Jared Harper both scored 26 points in the win. The Tigers finished 26-8, winning the SEC regular season title that season and earning a 4 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

No. 46 RICHMOND, 2019-20 SEASON

No. 18 Auburn beat Richmond 79-65 in the final of the Legends Classic at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. in November. Samir Doughty led Auburn with 22 points. The Tigers finished second in the SEC standings that season, earning the 2 seed in the SEC Tournament before the seasno was cancelled due to Covid. Richmond finished the season 24-7. Sidenote: Auburn returns to the Legends Classic in Brooklyn for the ’23-’24 season.

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