It will be brunch time basketball for Tennessee on Saturday when they take on former head coach Bruce Pearl and his No. 13 Auburn Tigers.
The Vols (15-11, 7-6 SEC) will look to pull off a huge upset against the Tigers (22-4, 9-4) in Auburn Arena on Saturday at 11 AM local time (noon Eastern). Tennessee has beaten Auburn 11 of the last 15 times they’ve played them, but the Tigers have owned the Vols more recently, winning three-straight games against UT.
Auburn has lost two consecutive games, but both of those were on the road. The Tigers return home for Saturday’s match-up, where they’re a perfect 14-0 on the season.
Tennessee is catching Auburn at an opportune time, however. The Tigers have been without star freshman Isaac Okoro over the last two games as he recovers from a hamstring injury. Auburn has lost both games they’ve played without him, dropping road contests against Missouri and Georgia. The Tigers’ offense has dropped off without Okoro in the lineup, as they’ve averaged just 64 points in their last two games and are shooting below 15 percent as a team from three. Auburn is expected to be without Okoro for Saturday’s contest as well.
The Vols, on the other hand, should be more or less at full strength.
Freshman Josiah-Jordan James has played the last two games after missing four contests due to a hip/groin injury. Junior forward Yves Pons has been dealing with tendinitis in his knee, but he hasn’t missed any time and was productive in the Vols’ win over Vanderbilt on Tuesday.
Former Vol head coach Bruce Pearl leads the Tigers, and he’s improved his record against UT to 4-4 thanks to Auburn’s three-game winning streak over the Vols.
All-time, Tennessee is 78-41 against Auburn, but the Tigers hold a 28-23 edge when the two face-off in Auburn.
Take a look at everything you need to know for Saturday’s match-up. If you can’t make it to the game, here’s how you can watch or listen to the Tennessee vs. Auburn game.
Tip-Off: Noon Eastern, February 22nd, Auburn Arena (Auburn, AL)
TV: CBS (Spero Dedes and Clark Kellogg)
Streaming Online: CBSSports.com or the CBS Sports App
Radio: Vol Network
Line: Auburn (-6.5)
