Auburn men’s basketball has only played one true road game this season, but few places test the team like Duke University’s Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Auburn was competitive in that game, starting 13-2 but ultimately losing 84-78 to the then No. 9 Blue Devils. Despite this loss and the challenges facing the “Cameron Crazies,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said Tuesday night that his team will be I believe we may face an even tougher road test.
“I think this is going to be even more of a road game because at Duke, they only had 8.5 people or something like that in their seats and they had at least 1,000 people in the building,” Pearl told reporters. . Monday. “This is going to be an even tougher environment because we don’t expect to have this many fans. We don’t expect to have 1,000 Auburn fans.”
The Moody Center in Texas has a capacity of about 10,000 people for basketball games, which is not much, but more than Duke University’s Cameron Indoor Stadium or Auburn’s Neville Arena.
The Longhorns are 7-1 at home this season, but have yet to beat a team ranked higher than No. 158 on KenPom. Texas suffered a 76-65 loss on Dec. 8 in a home game against UConn, the highest-rated team Texas has ever played at home.
“UW played great that night,” Pearl said. “It would have been a big deal for them and for the league to have gotten that.”
Pearl referenced the fact that Texas is still looking for a big win and this could be an opportunity for the Longhorns to get a win at home.
“They’re looking for a special win. They’re looking for a hat to hang their hat on,” Pearl said. “This is their first chance to play in the league at home and I imagine they will be keen on the opportunity to play against us.”
Texas lost by 20 points to Texas A&M in the Southeastern Conference opener, but the Longhorns won that game 43-23 in the second half. The KenPom ranking of No. 43 also ranks in the bottom half of the SEC, but many would argue that speaks volumes about the conference’s overall strength and depth.
On paper, this game may look like a bigger opportunity for Texas, but Pearl isn’t taking it lightly being played in conference play for the first time.
“We’ve had a lot of big games, but I think this one definitely deserves it,” Pearl said. “Eligibility is there for both teams. This is a Quad 1 opportunity for us. It’s clear that Texas State is a well-known name in the world of intercollegiate athletics. What they’re doing at Texas. They are all big and doing very well.”
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow @peter_rauterkus on X or email prauterkus@al.com.
