9. Auburn Tigers - 18-4 (7-2 SEC)
After two straight losses on the road, the Tigers were looking to not only get momentum back but also stay in the SEC regular-season title race. Their first opponent was Vanderbilt at home, a team that’s been struggling mightily as of late. It was a game that ultimately was never in doubt, winning 81-54.
Jaylin Williams led the way with 21 points on 7/9 shooting, while Denver Jones had 19. Johni Broome had another all-around game with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and five blocked shots. The team defense was on another level, holding the Commodores to get 27% shooting from the field.
Auburn was back on the road in a matchup with Ole Miss, one of the last unbeatens in NCAA Basketball before SEC play. The Tigers were down by nine points at the halftime break before going off in the final 20 minutes, scoring 56 points en route to a 91-77 victory. There were six double-digit scorers for the winning side, led by Broome with 15 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists.
The Tigers have a fairly tough schedule in the back end of SEC play, starting with a rematch with rival Alabama on Wednesday. They lost at their place a couple of weeks ago by a few points so they’ll look for revenge this time around. After that is a road battle at Florida, which seems to have turned a corner as of late.