The Fighting Pearls Play Games

[Snaggletiger]

A little hoops scheduling talk copy/pasta'd from Auburn Undercover.  

AUBURN, Alabama–Bruce Pearl said his Auburn basketball team will be challenged often prior to the start of Southeastern Conference play as on Wednesday the coach announced his team’s full pre-conference 2021-22 schedule.
“This is the most ambitious non-conference schedule in the history of Auburn men’s basketball and in my career,” Pearl declared. “There are nine high-major conference schools on the schedule outside of league play.
“This is an opportunity for our fans to travel,” Pearl said. “We’ll be playing in Tampa at Amalie Arena where the SEC Tournament is going to be and Saint Louis, which is a great Midwestern city. We’re looking forward to playing in Atlanta again where we have so many fans and alumni. These are great places and opportunities for our fans to travel.
“Playing two true road games and four neutral-site games are ways to improve your standing with the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee,” the coach added.
The Tigers will open the season at home on Nov. 9th vs. Morehead State and then play Nov. 12 at home vs. ULM. The first road game is a week later at South Florida before going to The Bahamas to open the Nov. 24-26  Battle 4 Atlantis vs. the UConn Huskies. Other teams in that event include Loyola-Chicago, Michigan State, Arizona State, Baylor, Syracuse and VCU. Tipoff for the UConn game is 1:30 p.m. Central Time with television coverage on ESPN.



On Dec. 1st the Tigers will take on UCF at Auburn Arena with Yale visiting three days later. On the 11th the Tigers will play the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Atlanta as part of the Holiday Hoopsgiving event, which features four games. The Tigers will play at home on Dec. 14th vs. North Alabama. The pre-Christmas schedule includes a trip to play St. Louis University on Dec. 18th and a home game vs. Murray State on the 22nd.
The final non-conference regular season game is Jan. 29th at the Tigers play host to Oklahoma in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
The Tigers are scheduled to play seven non-conference games at Auburn Arena,  two road non-league games and four non-conference contests with three at the Battle 4 Atlantis plus a Holiday Hoopsgiving contest at State Farm Arena in Atlanta
Last season the Tigers posted a 6-3 against non-conference opponents with losses to Gonzaga, UCF and the Baylor Bears, who defeated Gonzaga in the national championship game. Auburn fell to Gonzaga in a neutral site contest and lost road games to UCF and Baylor, which was Auburn’s opponent in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge.
The Tigers scored non-conference neutral site victories over St. Joe’s and Memphis along with home wins vs. South Alabama, Texas Southern, Troy and Appalachian State.
Overall, the 2020-21 Tigers finished 13-14 with a 7-11 conference record. The Tigers were 8-5 at home, 3-8 in road games and 2-1 in neutral site matchups.
 Pearl’s Tigers must replace their leading scorer, guard Sharife Cooper (20.2 points per game), who was a second round NBA Draft selection. Another freshman, forward JT Thor, was also selected in the NBA’s second round. Thor was fifth in scoring for the Tigers at 9.4 points per game.
Auburn’s top returning scorer is guard/forward Allen Flanigan, who averaged 14.3 points per game and 5.5 rebounds.

Allen Flanigan (22) takes a shot during his sophomore season with the Tigers. (Photo: Adam Sparks / Inside the Auburn Tigers, 247Sports)

 
Also returning as a player who scored in double figures is junior forward Jaylin Williams, who finished the 2020-21 season with averages of 10.9 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest.
In the Southeastern Conference schedule for the coming season the Tigers will play home and home games vs. Alabama, Georgia, Ole Miss, Florida and South Carolina. The other SEC home contests will be against Kentucky, LSU, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt.
The dates for the SEC games have not been set, but the league office has announced that Auburn will play road games at Arkansas, Mississippi State, Missouri and Tennessee this season.
2021-22 Auburn Non-Conference Schedule
Nov. 9--Morehead State at Auburn
Nov. 12--ULM at Auburn
Nov. 19 --Auburn at USF
Nov. 24--Auburn vs. UConn (Battle 4 Atlantis), Paradise Island, The Bahamas
Nov. 25--Auburn vs. Loyola Chicago/Michigan State (Battle 4 Atlantis), Paradise Island, The Bahamas
Nov. 26--Auburn vs. Arizona State/Baylor/Syracuse/VCU (Battle 4 Atlantis), Paradise Island, The Bahamas
Dec. 1--UCF at Auburn
Dec. 4--Yale at Auburn
Dec. 11--Auburn vs.  Nebraska (Holiday Hoopsgiving) at Atlanta
Dec. 14--North Alabama at Auburn
Dec. 18--Auburn at Saint Louis

25COMMENTS

Dec. 22--Murray State at Auburn
Jan. 29--Oklahoma  at Auburn (Big 12/SEC Challenge)

[WiregrassTiger]

I’m giving Pearl a short leash this season. We can still get Jeff Lebo if we need to.

[Buzz Killington]

I’m giving Pearl a short leash this season. We can still get Jeff Lebo if we need to.

Pfft...there's a guy on the bench at Kentucky right now that I believe is primed to be a HC soon.

[Snaggletiger]

Pfft...there's a guy on the bench at Kentucky right now that I believe is primed to be a HC soon.