aubiefifty

247sports.com Auburn spring preview: Position battles to watch Nathan King 9–11 minutes In just a few days' time, football will be back on the Plains. The first practices of the Hugh Freeze era get under way Monday, as Auburn is set for an early start to spring ball this year. The new coaching staff will get their first chance to work with the Tigers, implement new schemes on both sides of the ball, acclimate newcomers from high school and the transfer ranks, and evaluate where the team stands as a whole and what areas of emphasis will need to be moving forward. Things culminate April 8 with the first A-Day spring game of the Freeze era. All week, Auburn Undercover will continue to preview a different facet of Auburn's upcoming spring practices until things get rolling on Monday — from wild-card players to freshman fits to position battles to depth charts. We'll continue with a look at the key position battles to monitor throughout spring ball. (Jason Caldwell / 247Sports) Quarterback 2022 starter(s): Robby Ashford, T.J. Finley Contenders: Robby Ashford, T.J. Finley, Holden Geriner Experience: Finley started the first three games of the season after winning the job in preseason camp. The former LSU transfer suffered a shoulder injury against Penn State, though, giving way to Ashford for the rest of the season. Geriner played only two drives all season — when Ashford checked out of the Missouri game briefly with an injury. What to watch: Ashford surely has earned the benefit of the doubt for first-team reps early in camp, but Freeze and his new offensive staff will want to get a first-hand look at all the quarterbacks’ passing capabilities alongside the primary offensive line and receivers. Ashford and Finley were both highly inconsistent last season, so the door is plenty open for Geriner to make strides. It will be intriguing to watch how they respond to a new passing game and offense, and how Freeze and company are able to hone in on Ashford’s dynamic skill set. Left tackle 2022 starter(s): Kilian Zierer Contenders: Dillon Wade, Gunner Britton Experience: Wade started all last season for Tulsa at left tackle, while Britton split starts at Western Kentucky at both right and left tackle. What to watch: Auburn and new offensive line coach Jake Thornton likely have an idea of where they want their two highly rated transfer additions to start, but it still won’t be surprising if they give Wade and Britton a chance to stretch their legs at both tackle spots. Wade is a left tackle through and through, but if Britton proves himself more effective at the position, Wade could slide over to the right side. Vice versa seems the more likely case. Left guard 2022 starter(s): Brandon Council, Kameron Stutts, Jeremiah Wright Contenders: Kameron Stutts, Jeremiah Wright, Garner Langlo Experience: After Council had to take over starting center duties a few games into the season, Stutts swapped starting guard spots. Wright emerged, though, over the course of the year, started the Ole Miss game in Week 7 and continued to rotate almost evenly with Stutts at left guard the rest of the season. What to watch: Thornton seemed high on Wright’s potential earlier this month, when he said the monstrous 6-foot-5, 335-pounder is “someone we can build this unit around.” Considering their experience compared to other interior linemen on the roster, Wright and Stutts are the two most probable starters at the moment for either guard spot, and Stutts obviously has the experience playing both. (Stephen Igoe, Getty) Center 2022 starter(s): Tate Johnson, Brandon Council Contenders: Avery Jones, Tate Johnson Experience: The No. 1 transfer center per 247Sports rankings, Jones makes the jump to the SEC after two years starting for East Carolina. Johnson started the first four games for Auburn in 2022 before a season-ending elbow injury. What to watch: In terms of past production, the comparison between Jones and Johnson isn’t exactly even. Jones was one of the best pass-protecting linemen in the county last season and has 30-plus starts at center and left guard in his career, while Johnson severely struggled up front for the Tigers before his injury. Still, Johnson is the returnee and should be healthy and competitive. Right guard 2022 starter(s): Alec Jackson, Kameron Stutts Contenders: Kameron Stutts, Jeremiah Wright, Garner Langlo Experience: Langlo, a redshirt sophomore, has yet to appear in a game with the Tigers but repped at guard as a reserve during preseason practices. Stutts is the runaway leader here in terms of solely returning experience. What to watch: The Tigers don’t have much guard depth on the roster, with Stutts and Wright serving as the only players who have ever taken a snap at either guard spot. True freshman early enrollee and Under Armour All-American Connor Lew has a polished skill set could be a dark horse to work in possibly as a second-teamer at guard. Right tackle 2022 starter(s): Austin Troxell, Brenden Coffey Contenders: Dillon Wade, Gunner Britton, Izavion Miller Experience: Miller, rated as the No. 2 JUCO offensive tackle in the country, started at right tackle for Southwest Mississippi Community College. What to watch: Auburn likely has a couple capable options here, if it ends up being a head-to-head between Britton and Miller — who are 6-foot-6, 305 pounds and 6-foot-6, 320 pounds, respectively. (Chris McDill, Getty) Outside/X receiver 2022 starter(s): Shedrick Jackson Contenders: Camden Brown, Nick Mardner Experience: The Cincinnati transfer Mardner had 913 yards and five touchdowns playing for Auburn’s new receivers coach, Marcus Davis, when the two were together at Hawaii in 2021. A rising sophomore, Brown was one of the most exciting young players in Auburn’s offense last season, snaring nine passes for 123 yards and a pair of touchdowns. What to watch: Auburn has nearly 2,000 career snaps to replace from Jackson, a fifth-year senior and second-year starter last season. But Jackson was never the most productive in the passing game, and the Tigers probably have a higher ceiling on the outside this year. Mardner is far more experienced, though Brown is an undeniably physical red-zone target at 6-foot-3 and 202 pounds. A starting pecking order isn’t as important this spring as getting the two comfortable within the new offense. Nose tackle 2022 starter(s): Jayson Jones Contenders: Jayson Jones, Justin Rogers Experience: A former Oregon transfer, Jones filled a void for the Tigers in 2022 and was the primary option at nose. Rogers comes over from Kentucky, where he was a former top-60 overall prospect and developed into a starting force last season. He also sought after by Alabama and LSU on the transfer market. What to watch: Jones wasn't the most consistent player on the interior last season and didn't often make a sizable impact on the game. Rogers had all the production that a defense can ask for from a nose tackle, nearly tripling Jones' tackles despite only playing 80 more snaps. It will be a new defensive scheme for both players. (Austin Perryman / Auburn Athletics) Jack linebacker 2022 starter(s): Derrick Hall, Eku Leota Contenders: Dylan Brooks, Elijah McAllister, Keldric Faulk Experience: McAllister, a Vanderbilt transfer, brings 34 career game appearances to the mix at what remains one of the thinnest position groups on Auburn’s roster. Brooks is the only returning player on the roster with experience at the pass-rusher spot, and Faulk is the Tigers’ highest-rated prospect in their 2023 class. What to watch: This is one of the more unpredictable groups on the roster. Brooks has experience under his belt now, after playing an increased role in 2022 following Leota’s injury, but neither he nor McAllister have shown themselves to be high-level contributors — yet. Meanwhile, Faulk is a superb athlete at 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, and if there’s any spot on the roster where a true freshman could start right away, it’s here. Middle linebacker 2022 starter(s): Owen Pappoe Contenders: Austin Keys, Wesley Steiner, Robert Woodyard Experience: Keys started six games this past season for Ole Miss, with 39 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. Steiner was a mainstay in the linebacking corps for Auburn before he played only a few snaps over the final four games of the year. Woodyard, the top recruit in Auburn’s 2022 class, contributed only on special teams as a true freshman while recovering from a knee injury. What to watch: Keys appears to fit the bill of a quality replacement for Pappoe, with his experience and size. But Auburn has plenty of options across the board at linebacker, including Steiner, a senior who’s played in some capacity in all four of his seasons with the program. ">247Sports

A look at Auburn’s KenPom ranking after defeat of Ole Miss Taylor Jones 3–4 minutes Auburn improved its’ NCAA Tournament odds by defeating Ole Miss in a close game, 78-74, at Neville Arena on Wednesday. The Tigers needed the win, as they entered the game losers of four of their last six games. The victory was also important in the name of momentum, as Auburn will need to play their best basketball against a tough upcoming slate of Kentucky, Alabama, and Tennessee, with the first two games of the slate taking place on the road. How did Auburn’s win over Ole Miss affect their place in the KenPom rankings? The Tigers remain in the top-25 in two categories while staying a top-100 team in other slots. Here’s a look at where Auburn stacks up in the latest KenPom rankings. Overall Ranking: No. 22 Michael Chang/Getty Images The Tigers remain in the top-25 following a four-point win over Ole Miss on Wednesday. Auburn is the fourth-highest rated SEC team in the latest update, trailing Alabama, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Adjusted Offensive Efficiency: No. 67 Michael Chang/Getty Images Auburn checks in at No. 67 in adjusted offensive efficiency. According to KenPom data, the Tigers offense is projected to score 111.2 points per 100 possessions. Gonzaga has the best adjusted offensive efficiency ranking, as they are projected to score 122.0 points per 100 possessions. Adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 15 Jake Crandall/ The Montgomery Advertiser The Tigers remain one of the best defensive teams in the country by checking in at No. 15. According to KenPom, Auburn is forecasted to allow 93.2 points to their opponents per 100 possessions. Tennessee is the nation’s best team in adjusted defensive efficiency as their opponents are projected to score 86.2 points per 100 possessions. Adjusted Tempo: No. 155 Jake Crandall/ The Montgomery Advertiser Auburn is expected to create 68.1 possessions per game, which puts them at middle-of-the-pack in the NCAA. In Wednesday’s win over Ole Miss, Auburn had the ball 67 times, and scored on 35 of those possessions. Long Beach State creates the most offensive opportunities in the country by posting 73.5 possessions per 40 minute contest. Strength of Schedule: No. 42 Michael Chang/Getty Images Auburn’s strength of schedule remains in the top-50 following Wednesday’s win, and is expected to become more challenging as the Tigers close the regular season with games at Kentucky, at Alabama, and vs. Tennessee, all three teams are ranked in the KenPom top-35. Auburn’s opponents rank No. 49 in adjusted offensive efficiency, and No. 38 in adjusted defensive efficiency. Kansas has the toughest schedule in the nation while St. Francis (NY) has the easiest. Kentucky ranking: No. 32 Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports Kentucky defeated Florida on Wednesday, 82-74 in Gainesville. The Wildcats have now won three-straight games ahead of Saturday’s game with Auburn at Rupp Arena. Here’s a look at where Kentucky ranks in the KenPom following Wednesday’s action. Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

depending on who the candidates i might vote for liz. she put her country first..........

Former Arizona AG sat on records refuting election fraud 1/4 Election 2020 Arizona FILE - Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich speaks at a news conference in Phoenix, on Jan. 7, 2020. Brnovich suppressed findings by his investigators who concluded there was no basis for allegations that the 2020 election was marred by widespread fraud. That's according to documents released Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, by his successor, Kris Mayes.(AP Photo/Bob Christie, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS 2/4 Election 2020 Arizona FILE - Kris Mayes, smiles before a debate on Sept. 28, 2022. Arizona's former attorney general Mark Brnovich, suppressed findings by his investigators who concluded there was no basis for allegations that the 2020 election was marred by widespread fraud. That's according to documents released Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, by his successor, Kris Mayes. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS 3/4 Election 2020 Arizona FILE - Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich speaks at a news conference in Phoenix, on Jan. 7, 2020. Brnovich suppressed findings by his investigators who concluded there was no basis for allegations that the 2020 election was marred by widespread fraud. That's according to documents released Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, by his successor, Kris Mayes.(AP Photo/Bob Christie, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS 4/4 Election 2020 Arizona FILE - Kris Mayes, smiles before a debate on Sept. 28, 2022. Arizona's former attorney general Mark Brnovich, suppressed findings by his investigators who concluded there was no basis for allegations that the 2020 election was marred by widespread fraud. That's according to documents released Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023, by his successor, Kris Mayes. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin, File) ASSOCIATED PRESS 3.4k JONATHAN J. COOPER Wed, February 22, 2023 at 6:09 PM CST PHOENIX (AP) — Arizona's former attorney general suppressed findings by his investigators who concluded there was no basis for allegations that the 2020 election was marred by widespread fraud, according to documents released Wednesday by his successor. Democratic Attorney General Kris Mayes, who took office last month, said the records show the 2020 election “was conducted fairly and accurately by election officials.” Previous Attorney General Mark Brnovich, a Republican, never released a March 2022 summary of investigative findings, which ruled out most of the fraud claims spread by allies and supporters of former President Donald Trump. Yet a month later, he released an “interim report" that claimed his investigation “revealed serious vulnerabilities that must be addressed and raises questions about the 2020 election in Arizona." He released his April report despite pushback from his investigators who said some of its claims were refuted by their probe. Brnovich was at the time in the midst of a Republican Party primary for U.S. Senate and facing fierce criticism from Trump, who claimed he wasn't doing enough to prosecute election fraud. Brnovich, whose primary bid was unsuccessful, also did not release a September memo that systematically refuted a bevy of election conspiracies that have taken root on the right, including allegations of dead or duplicate voters, pre-marked ballots flown in from Asia, election servers connected to the internet and even manipulation by satellites controlled by the Italian military. “In each instance and in each matter, the aforementioned parties did not provide any evidence to support their allegations,” the September memo read. “The information that was provided was speculative in many instances and when investigated by our agents and support staff, was found to be inaccurate.” The September memo, which was among the documents released Wednesday, describes an all-encompassing probe that became the top priority for the attorney general's investigators, who spent more than 10,000 hours looking into 638 complaints. They opened 430 investigations and referred 22 cases for prosecution. President Joe Biden won Arizona by a little over 10,000 votes. Mayes said the fraud claims were a waste. “The ten thousand plus hours spent diligently investigating every conspiracy theory under the sun distracted this office from its core mission of protecting the people of Arizona from real crime and fraud," Mayes said in a statement. Attempts to reach Brnovich for comment were unsuccessful. Brnovich's “interim report” claimed that election officials worked too quickly in verifying voter signatures and pointed to a drop in the number of ballots with rejected signatures between 2016 and 2018 and again in 2020. He also claimed that Maricopa County was slow in responding to requests for information. He made those claims even after investigators who reviewed a draft pushed back, publishing his report largely unchanged following their feedback. The investigative staff concluded that the county recorder's office “followed its policy/procedures as they relate to signature verification; we did not uncover any criminality or fraud having been committed in this area during the 2020 general election," investigators wrote. They also said they found the county “was cooperative and responsive to our requests.” Arizona became the epicenter of efforts by Trump allies to cast doubt on Biden's victory. Republican leaders of the state Senate subpoenaed election records and equipment and hired a Florida firm led by a Trump supporter, Cyber Ninjas Inc., to conduct an unprecedented review of the election in Maricopa County. The Cyber Ninjas review gave Biden more votes than the official count but claimed that their work raised serious questions about the conduct of the election in Maricopa County, home to metro Phoenix and the majority of Arizona's voters. The investigation by the attorney general's office found the allegations did not stand up to scrutiny. “Our comprehensive review of CNI’s audit showed they did not provide any evidence to support their allegations of widespread fraud or ballot manipulation,” Brnovich's investigators wrote. Thursday's release is the latest confirmation that there was no widespread fraud in the 2020 election and that Biden won the presidency legitimately. Trump continues to repeat his lie that the election was stolen from him as he mounts his third bid for the White House, despite reviews and audits saying otherwise in the battleground states he contested and his own administration officials debunking his claims. Officials in Maricopa County, where nearly all the officials overseeing elections are Republicans, say they endured death threats and verbal abuse due to the suggestions of malfeasance in the Cyber Ninjas review and Brnovich's “interim report." “This was a gross misuse of his elected office and an appalling waste of taxpayer dollars, as well as a waste of the time and effort of professional investigators,” Clint Hickman, the Republican chairman of the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors said in a statement. Brnovich's investigators did conclude that Maricopa County officials did not uniformly follow state election procedures when filling out forms to document the pickup and transport of mail ballots. But they said the errors were procedural and that “investigators did not find anything that would (have) compromised the integrity of the ballots or the final ballot count.” Investigators interviewed two Republican state lawmakers who publicly claimed they knew of fraud in the election, but wrote that neither Rep. Mark Finchem nor Sen. Sonny Borrelli repeated their claims to investigators — when they could have been subject to criminal charges for false reporting to law enforcement. The investigators said a third lawmaker, Republican state Sen. Wendy Rogers, declined to speak with them. this is why i stay on trump so hard. look at all the people who chose lies above the truth on who won the election. they are not patriots and they are not heroes. they abused the system and should be dealt with to the full extent of the law. when people tell you YOUR vote does not count they are lying. and that is exactly what they tried to do on jan 6. and people died that never should have died because we put power hungry fools like trump in office. the right blames the left for so much but all we get from them is tax cuts for the rich and jewish space lasers. people complain about the money put out during covid but not so much about the money going to the rich who did not need it anyway. all it did was make the rich richer. they needed no help. but i have not seen complaints about that but boy i sure have read about feeding the poor and elderly was overkill. but i saw it help a ton of folks at this time in our country we do not need games we need some serious leadership. and why is it the supposed god loving and moral side of politics come up with all these crazy things including hating hillary because she runs a ped ring out of the basement of a pizza parlor. america is doomed unless she changes and we start trying to love each other and get along. hell we still have the liar who ran on in impressive run of lies and yet he is still there. we have the playboy still hanging around with absolutely nothing being done to him. then we have fools like green who does not care about this country she is only interested in her own brand and power. it is a bad look...............

Home runs carry No. 20 Auburn softball to 10-1 win over UAB Auburn University Athletics 3–4 minutes AUBURN, Ala. – Balls were flying out of Jane B. Moore Field Wednesday evening as No. 20 Auburn softball (10-1) homered three times in en route to a 10-1 victory over UAB (7-5). The victory was Auburn's sixth run-rule victory of the season. The Tigers have now won eight straight and are undefeated at Jane B. Moore Field. Maddie Penta tossed three perfect frames to open the contest, striking out three of the nine batters she faced. Shelby Lowe and Annabelle Widra both saw an inning of relief with Widra adding a pair of strikeouts on the night. Bri Ellis, Widra and Icess Tresvik all slugged home runs on Wednesday night with Ellis and Widra each going yard the first inning. Tresvik closed the night 2-for-2 with two runs scored and two RBI. Ellis added two hits and two RBI. Tresvik now leads the team with four home runs. "The weight room has been helping me," Tresvik said. "Jessie (Blaine) has been pushing me in the weight room. The coaches are pushing me and the team every day to be perfect. I'm not going to be perfect, but I always strive to be." Nelia Peralta also turned in a multiple hit performance from the top of the lineup. The sophomore went 2-for-3 with an RBI double. Auburn's trend of first-inning scoring continued against the Blazers. With Peralta on with a single, Carlee McCondichie drove another single up the middle. The Blazers' centerfielder tried to make a play at third base, but the ball sailed into the dugout, bringing Peralta home on the error. Jessie Blaine kept the scoring going with an RBI single through the right side before Ellis and Widra went back-to-back with a pair of home runs to give the Tigers a 5-0 lead after one. "I'm proud of us for coming out here and putting five runs on the board in the first inning," Ellis said. "It doesn't matter who you are playing. That can be hard to do, especially in a midweek. I think we did a good job of staying focused and turning it around from school to game." The Tigers added their sixth run in the bottom of the second as Peralta scored Tresvik with a double to right center. Perfecting a hit and run, Makayla Packer turned on the jets and legged out a triple, scoring pinch runner Abbey Smith. Tresvik extended the Auburn lead to 9-0 with a two-run blast to left center, Auburn's third home run of the game. The Blazers broke up the perfect game bid with two outs in the top of the fourth as Sierra Frazier slugged a solo home to left center. Auburn ends its 11-game home slate over the weekend, hosting the Plainsman Invite. Merrimack, Brown and North Dakota State will travel to the Plains. Auburn kicks off the tournament with a doubleheader against Merrimack and Brown on Friday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT.

5 takeaways from Auburn's 78-74 win over Ole Miss Nathan King 7–8 minutes AUBURN, Alabama — It was a nauseating second half for the fans inside Neville Arena, but the Tigers pulled it out late in a complete can’t-lose game for their NCAA Tournament hopes. Auburn overcame a lackluster night defensively and on the glass, and made enough plays late to fend off Ole Miss, 78-74 in the Tigers’ penultimate home game of the season. Here are Auburn Undercover’s five takeaways, as the only games remaining for the Tigers in the regular season are opportunities for serious resume boosts. Key stretch Zep Jasper, Allen Flanigan and Johni Broome hit 3-pointers on back-to-back-to-back possessions early in the second half to push Auburn’s lead to 12 points, its largest of the night to that point. But the air in Neville Arena was completely zapped after Ole Miss suddenly burst for a 15-2 run over four minutes, including a trio of fastbreak baskets, and Bruce Pearl called timeout after the Rebels took a 58-55 lead with just under 10 minutes to go Auburn committed three turnovers during the run and missed five straight shots — going 3:27 of game time without a make — after it had made six of its previous seven field goals to take a double-digit lead. Auburn continued to pile up turnovers, with six in the first 11 minutes of the second half. A Tigers team that averaged just over 10 giveaways per game in SEC play had seven turnovers in the second half, including five during in less than six minutes while Ole Miss was climbing back. "We were not executing offensively, we were sloppy, and they were aggressive," Pearl said of Auburn's turnovers during that stretch. "And they jumped back in the game. We weren't setting good screens, our timing was off, we were resting. We succumbed to fatigue, and that's how they got back in it with those turnovers. It was very poor and very lackadaisical offensive execution." Auburn’s troubles staying in front of athletic scoring guards reared up again, as the Rebels’ Matthew Murrell was creating problems driving to the hoop. He had 23 after scoring 24 points in the first meeting, and was 9-of-12 from the foul line. Green Jr. leads Auburn's closeout Wendell Green Jr. had five straight points to reignite the energy inside Neville Arena and allow Auburn to retake the lead, 64-63 with 5:18 after an assist from Broome after an offensive rebound. After Broome’s two straight baskets, Green Jr. rocketed coast-to-coast one more time, finishing an up-and-under layup to push the Tigers’ lead up to 70-64 with 3:14 remaining. The Tigers led by 6 with 30 seconds left, but offensive rebounding kept Ole Miss in the game, though, after Robert Allen grabbed a missed 3-ball by Jaemyn Brakefield and kicked to James White, who canned a triple to make it 74-73 Auburn with 17 seconds remaining. After two free throws from Green Jr., Pearl fouled up 3, sending Murrell back to the foul line when Ole Miss had zero timeouts left. It paid off, as Murrell went 1-of-2, and Green Jr. knocked down two more freebies. "We ended up getting to the free-throw line a lot," Green Jr. said postgame. "That was the main thing coach told us — at the end of games, we've gotta stop fouling and get to the free-throw line more. Automatic two points. I think we improved on that. Hopefully we can keep improving on it down the road." Green Jr. had a number of acrobatic finishes in traffic in the first half alone, and he paced Auburn’s 12 fastbreak points in the first 20 minutes. After a couple struggling offensive performances, the point guard had 23 points — the same total as he did in the first win over Ole Miss — on 6-of-12 shooting and 11-of-12 from the foul line. "Just wanted to push the ball in transition," Green Jr. "I felt pretty — I felt pretty athletic today, running up and down the court. ... Just watching film on the Vanderbilt game, it's something I learned from the Vanderbilt game, just trying to get it up. And I feel I can get past anybody, so as long as I keep pushing the tempo like that, I think we'll get better shots on offense." Broome down the stretch Broome came up huge down the stretch, too, in all facets of the game. The big man, with another excellent performance (19 points, eight rebounds, three assists, six blocks and a steal), had five blocks for the rest of the game after the Rebels’ 15-2 run gave them the lead, and he snatched five rebounds in the final five minutes of action. "I don’t know if they give a freshman of the year and a newcomer of the year, I think they might do both I don’t know," Pearl said. "But it’s hard to imagine that there’s a better newcomer than Johni in our league. He’s your stat sheet stuffer. I’m on him pretty good, but I’ve always been on my best players. Always. I coach him hard, he stepped up, made plays at the end, made a big three, made a big 15-footer, called his number and he delivered.” Flanigan's impact It wasn't a massive scoring night for Flanigan, but he had a number of important moments, separate even from his two thunderous dunks in transition. The senior scored 11 points on 3-of-9 shooting, and he corralled six rebounds, dished a team-high five assists and blocked a shot. He also cashed a pair of late free throws that put Auburn up 72-67 with a minute left. Standout stat Auburn was bested on the boards, and it was nearly the Tigers' undoing against a far inferior Ole Miss squad. The Rebels entered the game as one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the conference — and in the top 40 nationally in that department — and Ole Miss had eight offensive boards in the first half alone, leading to seven second-chance points — which helped to offset the Rebels’ seven turnovers. Auburn trimmed the rebounding advantage down the stretch, though, helped in large part by Broome's five boards in the final five minutes. Ole Miss finished with 17 offensive rebounds, the most allowed by Auburn all season. That led to 16 second-chance points for the Rebels, and Auburn was ultimately outrebounded 38-28. It's only the second win for Auburn this season when being outrebounded by double digits (Arkansas). "They’re athletic, they’re strong," Pearl said. "But Kentucky is bigger, stronger and more athletic so we’re gonna be up there in Rupp against probably the biggest, best offensive rebounding team. We rebound like we did tonight we’ll get beat by 40."

#PMARSHONAU: Auburn's 'best players' come through when it matters most Phillip Marshall 3–4 minutes Auburn’s basketball team gave up 17 offensive rebounds and got just seven Wednesday against Ole Miss, which has won just two SEC games. Several opportunities to take control of the game were wasted. Ole Miss shot 32 free throws. But Auburn found a way to win a game it absolutely could not lose 78-74. On rhe box score, Auburn won the game at the free-throw line, hitting 22-of-24 while Ole Miss was hitting 20-of-32, but Auburn coach Bruce Pearl had a simple explanation for what he called “a great win.” “Our best players stepped up,” Pearl said on his postgame radio show. And those “best players” were point guard Wendell Green and center Johni Broome. Green played at level as high as anyone could expect. He scored 23 points and was money at the free throw line, finishing 11-for-12. He had four assists, two steals and just two turnovers. Broome was much of a man on the inside. He scored 19 points, got eight rebounds and swatted away six shots. He even made a 3-point shot. Auburn led by as many as 12 points early in the second half, but the Rebels were not going to go quietly. They went on a 15-2 run and took a 63-59 lead with 6:21 left. Enter Green and Brome and their friends. The Tigers started holding the Rebels to one shot. The turnovers that had been a problem in Ole Miss’ big run went away. Green, at his best, is one of the top point guards in the SEC. Green, at his worst, can be maddening. But as Pearl said Wednesday night, winning without him would be a challenge, maybe an impossible challenge. It seems that the later in the season it gets, the closer and more unpredictable games become. Vanderbilt had won six straight games and lost at LSU. Alabama barely survived in overtime at South Carolina. Ole Miss took Auburn to the wire. Missouri beat Mississippi State in overtime. The regular season is down to three games. And Auburn’s three – at Kentucky, at Alabama and Tennessee at home - are brutally difficult. Auburn needs to win one of them to feel comfortable on selection Sunday. Auburn has pushed the best teams in the SEC to the limit. Can it take the next step in at least one of those last three games? 2COMMENTS Kentucky is on a roll again, and Auburn has long been cursed at Rupp Arena. Auburn would have a chance if Alabama plays like it did against South Carolina. But Alabama won’t play that way against Auburn. Tennessee, tied with Auburn for fourth place in the SEC standings, might actually be an underdog at Auburn Arena. To win any of those games, the same players who were at their best when it mattered most against Ole Miss will need to do it again. ">247Sports

a better highlight reel.

Auburn commit A'Mon Lane committed to play in Under Armour All-American game Christian Clemente 2–3 minutes A'Mon Lane's junior year isn't over yet and Auburn's Top247 cornerback commit is continuing to rack in accolades. Before competing in the Under Armour All-American camp in Atlanta this weekend, it was also announced that Lane is committed to playing in the 2024 Under Armour All-American game at the conclusion of his senior season. While a date has not been announced yet, the game is typically in the first week of January and set in Orlando. The Under Armour All-American game is one of two major all-star games for the top high school recruits to play in across the country, with the All-American Bowl in San Antonio being the other big game. Auburn was not represented in the Under Armour game during the 2023 cycle, but had five signees playing in the All-American Bowl. No. 216 overall in the 247Sports rankings, Lane has been committed to Auburn and Zac Etheridge since last July and Big Cat Weekend. Lane is the No. 15 cornerback and No. 16 player in the state of Alabama for the class. Lane was Auburn's first commitment of the Class of 2024 and someone that Hugh Freeze and the new Auburn staff inherited — and actively worked to keep committed. His last visit was shortly before the dead period for Auburn's Junior Day on Jan. 28, where he reassured his commitment. "I really like Coach Crime and Coach Roberts," Lane said. "He’s just — they’re just fun people, fun coaches to be around. You just get that feeling that you’re going to be taken care of. I don’t know, it’s something about Coach Freeze, man. His vibe and just everything how he reacts with my family and me, it’s special." 5COMMENTS Lane recently took home the state championship in the 4x2 and 60-meter in track. In the Class of 2024, Auburn currently holds three commitments from Lane, Top247 cornerback Jayden Lewis and Top247 quarterback Walker White. ">247Sports

Who is the next great Auburn linebacker? Published: Feb. 22, 2023, 2:54 p.m. 3–4 minutes Auburn linebacker Cam Riley (13) runs through a tackling drill during practice Tue. Aug. 16, 2022 in Auburn, Ala. (Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics)Todd Van Emst/AU Athletics By Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com We’re taking a look at each position group as Auburn prepares to open spring practice on Feb. 27. The eighth of an 11-part series looks at the linebackers. Transfers Austin Keys (Ole Miss) and DeMario Tolan (LSU) are set to lead a group of linebackers at Auburn. Tolan had 10 total tackles, and two quarterback hurries last season. Keys completed the 2022 season with 39 total tackles, two sacks, and a forced fumble. Cam Riley and Wesley Steiner have the most experience playing for Auburn as returning players. Riley had the second-most tackles on the team last season with 66 and 3.5 tackles for loss. Steiner posted 46 tackles last season at Auburn. Read More Auburn Football: Rivaldo Fairweather leads a developing tight-end group at Auburn Will Hugh Freeze’s offensive line rebuild work in 2023 at Auburn? Is Jarquez Hunter ready to be a feature running back at Auburn? Riley and Steiner hope to step up without team-captain Owen Pappoe, who is entering the 2023 National Football League Draft. Josh Aldridge is the new linebackers coach. He came with Freeze from Liberty, where Aldridge was the defensive coordinator. Aldridge’s Liberty defense was first nationally in team tackles for loss, fourth in team sacks, 15th in passes intercepted, 19th nationally in third-down defense, and 25th in first-down defense. “I’ve been fortunate to work for Coach Freeze the last four years and I’m appreciative to be joining him again at Auburn,” Aldridge said. “I look forward to helping Auburn build a defense that is physical, aggressive and competes for championships. The area surrounding the Plains is very familiar to my family and I can’t wait to hit the road in our footprint in search of Auburn Men.” Projected Depth Chart: Starters: Austin Keys and DeMario Tolan Second String: Cam Riley/Wesley Steiner. Eugene Asante/Robert Woodyard Third String: Desmond Tisdol/ Kameron Brown, Jake Levant/Powell Gordon Departed: Owen Pappoe (NFL Draft) Outlook: This is one of the more challenging units to evaluate at Auburn heading into spring camp. There are a lot of players with experience, but the production hasn’t been consistent. It’s also imperative to remember that the defense will change under new defensive coordinator Ron Roberts. “You have to be multiple nowadays in college football and the SEC. You’ve got to have multiple (fronts). We can’t just sit in a front unless you have better players than everybody else,” Roberts told reporters during a press conference in February. “You can’t do that. Offensive coordinators will pick you apart. The skill level is too good. They’ll find a weakness. We’ll be multiple in what we do, but we will play with aggression. We will blitz. We will pressure. We will be an aggressive defense.” Auburn’s linebacker room needs work. Don’t be surprised to see the Tigers active in the second portal opening after spring football. Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.

Auburn's Jarquez Hunter ranked one of college football's top 10 running backs in 2023 Lance Dawe 8–10 minutes The Auburn Tigers just watched one of the top 10 running backs in college football walk out the door. Tank Bigsby, Auburn's star tailback for the past three seasons and seventh all-time on the school's total rushing yards list, has declared for the NFL Draft and will be moving on from the Tigers. It's a blow to a backfield that could have used one more year of Bigsby, especially with a new offensive line and a competent playcalling duo of Hugh Freeze and Philip Montgomery. However, according to On3, even without Bigsby, the Tigers have one of the top five running backs in America. Jarquez Hunter, the backup to Bigsby for the past two seasons, ranked No. 5 in On3's article detailing the Top 10 Running Backs in College Football in 2023. Here's what On3 had to say about Hunter: "Hunter doesn’t have the production of some of the other players on this list, but you have to keep in mind that Auburn was a team essentially going through a coaching change during the season. Hunter is plenty versatile and ran for 668 yards and seven touchdowns, as well as catching 17 passes for 224 yards and two scores. He’ll be a terrific weapon in the hands of Hugh Freeze." He ranks ahead of Miyan Williams (Ohio State), TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio State), Donovan Edwards (Michigan), Trey Benson (Florida State), and Braelon Allen (Wisconsin) Jarquez Hunter was a three-star prospect in the Tigers' 2021 recruiting class. He was an extremely late pickup and a relatively irrelevant one at that - sitting just outside the top 700 players nationally in the 247Sports composite, Hunter was an additional depth piece (at least, according to national outlets) but wasn't expected to do much on the Plains for a couple of seasons. Behind the aforementioned Bigsby, Hunter rushed for 593 yards and three touchdowns, averaging an impressive 6.7 yards per carry. He followed this performance up with an even better one in 2022 (as noted by On3). He'll lead the way in a deep running back room featuring a wide variety of skill. Here's a look at Auburn's entire rotation heading into 2023: Jarquez Hunter, Jr. Hunter took a dip in YPC as his freshman season progressed, but he broke out this past season with three hundred-yard performances over the final three games of the year - including two huge games against Texas A&M and Alabama. His blend of power and explosiveness has provided Auburn with a fun compliment to star tailback Tank Bigsby - but now that Bigsby is gone, is Hunter ready to carry the load in the backfield? All signs point towards yes, and there's reason to believe that OC Philip Montgomery and HC Hugh Freeze will be excited about using him. Hunter has also proven to be the best pass-catcher out of the backfield over the past couple of seasons. Although, there may be someone on the depth chart that could potentially take those passing snaps away from Hunter. Fans should be excited about Hunter's return and should expect him to continue to improve upon the standard that he has set as an explosive, shifty back that's hard to bring down. Career carries - 193 Career rushing yards - 1,261 Career total touchdowns - 13 Career YPC - 6.5 Best game of career: Vs Alabama State (9/27/21) - 8 carries, 147 yards, 1 touchdown OR at Alabama (11/26/22) - 11 carries, 134 yards Brian Battie, Jr. Over his three year career at USF, Battie rushed for 1842 yards and ten TDs. Battie was also named an 2021 NCAA Consensus All-American at Kick Returner, just the 2nd All-American in USF program history, and followed that with a 2022 season that saw him rack up 1186 yards (at 6.7 yards per carry), eight touchdowns, and be named to Phil Steele's All-American team in an all-purpose role. A former 3-star recruit from Sarasota, FL, the 5-foot-8 Battie joins a running back room full of talent but short on starting experience - with Tank Bigsby off to the NFL, the returning duo of Jarquez Hunter and Damari Alston have only a combined 207 carries in college football, with 193 of those belonging to Hunter in his role as Bigsby's backup the last two seasons. Career carries - 280 Career rushing yards - 1,842 Career total touchdowns - 28 Career YPC - 6.6 Best game of career: At Florida ((9/17/22) - 17 carries, 150 yards, 8.8 YPC, 1 touchdowns OR at Tulsa (11/18/22) - 19 carries, 169 yards, 1 touchdown There were several to choose from. Damari Alston, So. Alston was the newbie in the rotation this season, and by default didn't see a lot of playing time - despite this, he finished inside the top 10 of PFF's individual offensive grades for the Tigers in 2022. He has an almost identical frame to Hunter (5-foot-10, 205 pounds) but has a very different running style - his one-cut bruiser style approach to the game makes him a difficult matchup for opponents as a rotational back - there is no fun in trying to hold Jarques Hunter down and then immediately having to account for a back that does not shy away from contact. He had almost 2,000 all-purpose yards as a junior in high school and has the potential to be a solid option in years to come for Auburn. Career carries - 14 Career yards - 85 Career touchdowns - 0 Career YPC - 6.1 Best game of career: Vs San Jose State (9/10/22) - 2 carries, 38 yards Jeremiah Cobb, Fr. This may be the most intriguing pickup of Auburn's 2023 recruiting class. Cobb was a monster at Montgomery Catholic High School, posting insane stats and displaying a well-rounded skill set. 247Sports noted in their analysis that "not one physical trait that stands out among the rest but (Cobb) possesses a well-rounded skill set and has a good feel for the position." And a good feel he has. There have been several comps thrown out for Cobb, and one many recruiting experts come back to is Alvin Kamara, given his ability to catch passes out of the backfield and turn anything into a big gain. There's not a particular area of weakness in his game (outside of the fact that he's still raw, as any high school talent), which is great news for the Tigers, who would expect him to take over the starting role as early as 2024 if Jarquez Hunter were to declare for the NFL Draft. Cobb has some serious potential to become a great weapon in Hugh Freeze's offense. *Career carries - 639 *Career yards - 6,567 *Career rushing touchdowns - 75 *Career YPC - 10.3 Career receiving yards - 1,142 *Career receiving touchdowns - 15 *Career YPC (receiving) - 22.8 (!) *All of these career numbers are his high school stats over the course of 50 games. Sean Jackson, Rs So. Jackson earned his scholarship as a redshirt freshman last season. He did not record a stat for the Tigers in 2022, but received 12 carries for 60 yards and one touchdown over the course of Auburn's first two games of 2021 (Akron, Alabama State). He'll be on roster to provide depth in what should be a very talented and well-balanced running back room in 2023. Whether or not Freeze and Montgomery end up giving him any serious playing time is to be determined over the course of the offseason, but Jackson has been praised for his work ethic - hence his reception of a scholarship. His bruising frame (5-foot-9, 230 pounds) could be utilized in short-yardage situations, if Freeze were to end up using him. Career carries - 12 Career yards - 60 Career touchdowns - 1 Career YPC - 5.0 Best game of career: Vs Alabama State (9/27/21) - 10 carries, 38 yards, 1 touchdown

auburnwire.usatoday.com Cornerback target Jameer Grimsley set to visit Auburn JD McCarthy ~2 minutes Auburn football now has a staff that prioritizes recruiting and the benefits of that are already beginning to show. The Tigers are expected to have numerous visitors during spring practice and one will be cornerback Jameer Grimsley. The Tampa, Florida, product has scheduled visits to Auburn and Alabama on March 11 and 12, according to Keith Niebuhr of Auburn Live. Buy Tigers Tickets Grimsley does not have a rating yet but that is just a matter of time as he already has over 15 offers including Auburn, Alabama, and South Carolina. Auburn secondary coach Zac Etheridge offered the 6-foot-3, 185-pounder on Feb. 16. The Tigers may have an advantage in his recruitment, former Auburn wide receiver Jeris McIntyre is his head coach at Tampa Catholic. Etheridge and Auburn have already landed two four-star cornerback commits in the 2024 recruiting class, Jayden Lewis and A’Mon Lane but the Tigers are looking to add several more to the class. Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

247Sports names Auburn a winner of the coaching carousel JD McCarthy ~3 minutes Hugh Freeze has yet to coach a game as Auburn’s head coach but there is plenty of optimism around his tenure. While some of this is the excitement that Bryan Harsin has been replaced and that the next head coach surely won’t be as disastrous, Brandon Marcello of 247Sports believes there was a lot to like about Auburn hiring Freeze. In fact, he named Auburn one of his winners of the coaching carousel for the hire. Freeze, however, is the man who has proven capable of not just challenging Nick Saban but is also a threat to beat him every year — even in seasons Freeze has less talent. He did it at Ole Miss and he’ll do it again at Auburn, where talent is not in short supply. The trajectory has certainly changed for the Tigers. Freeze quickly turned Auburn into a top-5 spot in the Transfer Portal while elevating a high school recruiting class that ranked in the 60s nationally under Harsin to 17th in a matter of weeks, according to the 247Sports Composite. While having a good head coach is important, it is equally important that he surrounds himself with good coordinators and assistant coaches. Freeze appears to have done this by retaining several stars from the previous coaching staff and bringing in his guys. There is no better example than him retaining and promoting Cadillac Williams who helped bring Auburn’s program back to life after he was named the interim head coach to end the season. He also retained ace recruiting Zac Etheridge, who has already landed several key recruits. The staff Freeze built is anchored by Auburn legend Cadillac Williams, who successfully lifted the Tigers out of the dirt as interim head coach in November, and veteran coordinators in former Tulsa head coach Philip Montgomery and Baylor defensive coordinator Ron Roberts, who turned down overtures from Arkansas to choose Auburn. Freeze also brought former Auburn receiver Marcus Davis home to coach receivers and hired his right-hand recruiting man at Ole Miss in 2012: secondary coach Wes McGriff. The staff will soon have its first test as spring practice is set to start on Feb. 27 and end with the A-Day game on April 8. More Football! The Athletic breaks down Auburn Football's biggest question ahead of spring practice Could Auburn add a QB from a rival program? Auburn makes top 10 for OT target Malachi Toliver Contact/Follow us @TheAuburnWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Auburn news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow JD on Twitter @jdmccarthy15.

new jam out for jasons new cd release in june.......

Has Auburn’s recent struggles spoiled their NCAA Tournament chances? Taylor Jones ~2 minutes Auburn, a team that has become accustomed to reaching the NCAA Tournament, has begun to see late-season struggles. The Tigers dropped its 9th contest of the season last Saturday to Vanderbilt in Nashville on a last-second bucket, 67-65. The heartbreaking loss is its’ fourth loss in its last five games. How much has Auburn’s recent run of tough luck affected their NCAA Tournament chances? ESPN’s John Gasaway says that the Tigers should not worry, as the quality of opponents that they have lost to will be considered when the committee selects the tournament teams. Vanderbilt’s Ezra Manjon drove to the basket and laid in the game-winner in the final second to give the Commodores a two-point victory at home over Auburn. To say that Bruce Pearl’s team has now lost four of its last five is correct but in one sense incomplete. The previous losses came on the road to Tennessee and Texas A&M and at home to Alabama. Then again that’s pretty much the same group the Tigers are about to face the rest of the way. Auburn will play rematches against the Volunteers and the Crimson Tide in addition to a road game at Kentucky and a home date against Ole Miss. The No. 8 seed projected for the Tigers hangs in the balance. Auburn Basketball has four games remaining in the regular season and will need to string together several wins in order to take momentum into the SEC Tournament. Auburn’s next opportunity will come Wednesday night when the Tigers host Ole Miss at Neville Arena for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff. More Basketball! Auburn receives no votes in latest AP poll Tigers receive just two votes in newest USA TODAY coaches poll Twitter reacts to Auburn's close loss to Vanderbilt Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

Auburn vs. Ole Miss: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Wednesday’s game at Neville Arena Taylor Jones 3–4 minutes Auburn plays Ole Miss on Wednesday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place. Auburn begins a tough two-week stretch to close out the 2023 regular season on Wednesday night, with Ole Miss serving as the first team on the docket at 8 p.m. CT at Neville Arena. Wednesday’s game is a return game from Jan. 10, when Auburn defeated the Rebels, 82-73 at the Pavillion in Oxford. Auburn trailed by one point at halftime but would outscore Ole Miss 48-38 in the second half to pull away with the victory. After the Ole Miss game, Auburn will face three teams who rank in the top-35 of the KenPom rankings, so the Tigers need a win in order to keep their NCAA Tournament hopes alive. Head coach Bruce Pearl says that Wednesday’s game with Ole Miss has similarities to last Tuesday’s win over Missouri, but also has vital differences. “We are facing, again, another ‘must-win’ situation. Last time against Missouri, there was a really good prize on the win because Missouri had won four in a row, they had just beaten Tennessee, they were seeded slightly ahead of us in the NCAA Tournament, and a win could do us some real good. The contest against Ole Miss, that’s not the case. A loss could do us almost irreparable damage because of just the math. Ole Miss has lost some games, but they have lost them really close. They lose at home in overtime to Mississippi State. The two games that they have won in conference have both been on the road.” Below, you will find all of the information you need for Wednesday’s game in Auburn, including a how-to-watch guide, an injury report, and a projected starting five. How to watch/listen to Wednesday's game Here’s when you should tune in to see the game: Date: Wednesday, Feb. 22 Time: 8 p.m. CT TV Channel: SEC Network (Dave Neal, Jon Sundvold) Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here) Radio: Auburn Sports Network (Andy Burcham, Sonny Smith) Auburn vs. Ole Miss injury report AUBURN [autotag]Chance Westry[/autotag] Knee Questionable for Wednesday’s game OLE MISS T.J. Caldwell Hamstring Questionable for Wednesday’s game Malique Ewin Personal Matters Out indefinitely Daeshun Ruffin Personal Matters Out indefinitely Projected Starting Five AUBURN G [autotag]Wendell Green Jr.[/autotag] G [autotag]Zep Jasper[/autotag] G [autotag]Allen Flanigan[/autotag] F [autotag]Jaylin Williams[/autotag] F [autotag]Johni Broome[/autotag] OLE MISS G Matthew Murrell G Amaree Abram F Myles Burns F Jaemyn Brakefield F Robert Allen Players to Watch AUBURN Johni Broome Jaylin Williams [autotag]K.D. Johnson[/autotag] OLE MISS Matthew Murrell Jaemyn Brakefield Myles Burns Series History Auburn leads the overall series over Ole Miss, 80-64 Auburn leads the overall series in Auburn, 52-17 Auburn won the last meeting over Ole Miss, 82-73 (Jan. 10, 2023) Auburn has won 6 of the last 10 meetings and has won three games in a row LAST FIVE MEETINGS IN AUBURN Feb. 23, 2022 Auburn 77 Ole Miss 64 Feb. 6, 2021 Ole Miss 86 Auburn 84 (OT) Feb. 25, 2020 Auburn 67 Ole Miss 58 Feb. 13, 2019 Ole Miss 60 Auburn 55 Jan. 9, 2018 Auburn 85 Ole Miss 70 Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire

auburntigers.com No. 20 Auburn softball hosts UAB for first midweek tilt Auburn University Athletics 6–8 minutes AUBURN, Ala. – Continuing its 11-game homestand at Jane B. Moore Field, No. 20 Auburn softball (9-1) welcomes UAB (7-4) to the Plains Wednesday night for the first midweek contest of the 2023 season. "UAB is a good team," said head coach Mickey Dean. "They are well coached. They swing the bat well, and they have good pitchers in the circle. They aren't going to give the game away. They are off to a good start this season. It's going to be a great challenge for us." First pitch is slated for 5 p.m. CT. Due to conflicts with over home events on campus, Wednesday midweek till not be available to stream, but fans can tune in to the live radio broadcast via the Auburn Sports Network. Wednesday is 70's Night at Jane B. Moore Field. The first 300 fans in attendance will receive an Auburn softball 70's-themed t-shirt. The first 150 students in attendance on will also receive a food voucher that is redeemable at Wednesday's men's basketball contest versus Ole Miss. Auburn's pitching staff continues to be one of the toughest to score against in the country. Picking up its fifth shutout of the season during Auburn's sweep of the Tiger Invitational, Auburn holds a 1.17 earned run average, allowed just 10 earned runs through 60 innings. The mark leads the Southeastern Conference while ranking ninth lowest in the nation. Maddie Penta continues to be virtually untouchable as she has yet to allow an earn run to score through the first two weekends of the season. Penta enters the midweek as the nation's leader in earned run average (0.00) and strikeouts per seven inning (14.3) while ranking second in the country in strikeouts (55) and victories (6). Comfortable on its home turf, Auburn slugged eight home runs at Jane B. Moore Field last weekend to bring its season total to 14, tied for the third most in the SEC. Seven different Tigers have delivered with the long ball this season with five recording multiple home runs. Aspyn Godwin and Icess Tresvik lead the way with three each. Nelia Peralta has been the most consistent Tiger in the lineup with impressive numbers form the leadoff spot. Peralta ranks second in the SEC in triples (2) and hits (15) while post top-10 numbers in total bases (25), batting average (.517) on base percentage (.622) and slugging percentage (.862). When leading off an inning, Peralta has successfully reached a total of 10 times, the fourth highest total among all SEC hitters. Auburn concludes its home slate this weekend, hosting the Plainsman Invite at Jane B. Moore Field. The Tigers are scheduled to play five games over the three-day tournament, which begins with a doubleheader slate against Merrimack and Brown on Friday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT. Players Mentioned #00 Aspyn Godwin C/OF 5' 8" Graduate Student R/R #9 Maddie Penta RHP 6' 2" Junior R/R #13 Nelia Peralta INF 5' 6" Sophomore R/R #3 Icess Tresvik UTL 5' 9" Sophomore R/R

Tigers face another 'must win' game, Pearl says Mark Murphy 4–6 minutes AUBURN, Alabama–Bruce Pearl said on Tuesday that his Auburn basketball team can’t afford to lose its next game, a visit from the Ole Miss Rebels. After going 1-1 last week with a dominating win at home vs. Missouri and a last-second loss at Vanderbilt, the Tigers don’t have as much margin for error regarding their goal of returning to the NCAA Tournament. “We are facing, again, another must-win situation,” Pearl said. “Last time against Missouri it was because there was a really good prize on the win because Missouri had won four in a row. They had just beaten Tennessee. They were seeded slightly ahead of us in the NCAA Tournament and the win could do us some real good.” The Tigers played perhaps their best game of the entire season vs. Missouri, taking command early on the way to an 89-56 victory at Neville Arena. That gave Pearl’s team a big boost in its NCAA Net ranking. However, that rating took a hit on Saturday night Auburn lost a second half lead of six points and dropped a 67-65 buzzer-beater at Vanderbilt. Looking at Auburn’s next game vs. Ole Miss, Pearl said, “A loss can do us almost irreparable damage be cause of just the math.” Comparing the resumes of Missouri and Ole Miss, the coach noted that there is “a huge difference.” Comparing the players who will be on the court at Neville Arena to Missouri’s players who played there last week, Pearl contends there is not a major difference. “I guarantee you it would be a close game.” he said. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CST with TV coverage on the SEC Network for what will be Auburn’s next-to-last men’s basketball home game this season. The Tigers will also play at Neville Arena on March 4th at 1 p.m. CST in a rematch vs. Tennessee that will be televised on ESPN. The Rebels will arrive in Auburn with a 10-17 overall record and a 2-12 conference mark, which includes an 82-73 loss to the Tigers on January 10th. Ole Miss has yet to win a conference home game in seven tries. Its league wins came on January 17th at South Carolina (70-58) and February 11th at South Carolina (64-61). Matthew Murrell, a 6-4, 200 junior guard who scored 24 points vs. Auburn at Oxford, leads the Rebels in scoring at 14.4 points per contest. He hit 7-16 field goals that game, 2-8 threes and was 8-8 at the foul line for his second-highest scoring game of the season, one off his total vs. Chattanooga. Jaemyn Brakefield, who scored 20 in a 69-61 overtime loss at home to Mississippi State on Saturday, is averaging 10.5 points and 5.6 rebounds. He scored a dozen points in the first matchup vs. the Tigers. For the season the Rebels are shooting 41.8 percent from the field, 28.8 percent on three-point attempts and 69.2 percent at the foul line. Opponents are making 43.3 percent of their hots and 34.9 percent of their three-pointers. Ole Miss is plus 1.7 per game in rebound margin and is close to neutral in turnover margin. Lack of offensive firepower has been a major issue for Coach Kermit Davis. His team is 11th among all SEC teams in scoring at 67.1 points per game and 11th in scoring for league games at 65.1. Auburn is averaging 72.5 points and allowing 64.8 per contest for all games. In league play the Tigers are scoring 71.2 poins per outing while allowing 66.1. Johni Broome is in his first season with the Tigers. (Photo: Zach Bland / Auburn Athletics) Johni Broome has taken over the team scoring lead at 14.0 points per game and is the SEC's No. 2 rebounder at 8.9 per contest. “We played well against Ole Miss at Ole Miss,” Pearl said. “We did a lot of good things the first time so there aren't going to be a tremendous number of adjustments because what we did was pretty effective. We played pretty well.” Pearl predicts the Rebels will try to feed off the energy of Auburn’s crowd on Wednesday night. “The two games they have won in conference have both been on the road so there's not as much energy in the their building right now. They go on the road and they will be a lot of energy in the building. The guys will be playing with their hair on fire and nothing to lose–a little bit of house money. Our guys know what is at stake, they understand that.”