Photo by Matthew Shannon/AU Athletics
The Southeastern Conference announced the home and away opponents for all fourteen member institutions for the upcoming 2022-2022 men’s basketball season. The Auburn Tigers will look to defend their regular season conference crown after a 15-3 SEC record last season.
Home Opponents:
Alabama Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide are a permanent home and away opponent for Auburn so there is so surprise here. Auburn swept Alabama last season and won the Neville Arena matchup 100-81.
Arkansas Razorbacks
After a tough road loss for Auburn last season in Bud Walton Arena, which snapped the Tiger’s 19 game winning streak, the Razorbacks will make the trip down to Neville Arena for this year’s clash. Arkansas is coming off of an Elite Eight appearance last season and will have many returning players from that squad for this upcoming season.
Florida Gators
Another one of the three conference losses for the Tigers came on the road against the Gators last season. Florida’s new head coach is Todd Golden, who was an assistant under Bruce Pearl at Auburn from 2014-2016, before taking San Francisco to the NCAA Tournament last season.
Georgia Bulldogs
The Bulldogs are another one of Auburn’s permanent home and away opponents. Georgia hired Mike White away from Florida this offseason after firing Tom Crean at the conclusion of a 6-26 season. Auburn swept the Bulldogs this past season, defeating Georgia 83-60 in the home contest.
Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels are the Tiger’s third permanent home and away opponent, each SEC school has three. Auburn defeated the Rebels 77-64 in the home contest last season. The Rebels have certainly been a tough opponent for Bruce Pearl since arriving at Auburn. Pearl is 6-9 against Ole Miss in his eight previous seasons in Auburn.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Last season, the Tigers defeated the Bulldogs on the road in Starkville 81-68 to clinch a share of the SEC Regular Season title. Mississippi State will travel to Auburn with new head coach Chris Jans, former head coach at New Mexico State.
Missouri Tigers
The orange and blue Tigers won a nail bitter in Columbia last season 55-54. Missouri, in a surprising move, fired Cuonzo Martin after the SEC Tournament and then named Dennis Gates, former Cleveland State head coach, the program’s 20th head coach.
Tennessee Volunteers
The Auburn, Tennessee basketball rivalry has become personally one of my favorites over the last several years. Back in 2018, the Tigers and Volunteers tied in the SEC regular season title race, in 2019 Auburn defeated Tennessee to end the regular season and then once again beat Rick Barnes’ squad in the SEC Tournament Championship Game, in 2020 Auburn swept the Vols with a come from behind victory at home and a statement win in Knoxville, and then last season it was Tennessee that got the victory in this rivalry beating #3 Auburn 67-62 in Thompson-Boling Arena. This duel between Pearl and his old school, which could go a long way in determining the title race, will occur at least twice next season in both Auburn and Knoxville.
Texas A&M Aggies
The Aggies will also play Auburn twice, home and away, next season. Auburn defeated Texas A&M at home, in front of ESPN’s College Gameday 75-58 last season. Buzz Williams’ squad returned the favor down in Tampa 67-62 on their run to the SEC Tournament Championship Game.
Photo by Matthew Shannon/AU Athletics
Away Opponents:
Alabama Crimson Tide
Auburn will face the Crimson Tide in Coleman Coliseum as part of the regular home and away with the Tiger’s arch rival. Last season, Auburn defeated Nate Oats' squad in Tuscaloosa 81-77 in their first meeting of the year. Auburn swept Alabama last season and Alabama did the same to Tigers the year before so the two matchups this upcoming season between the last two SEC Regular Season champions should be a fun one.
Georgia Bulldogs
Auburn will make the annual trip to Stegeman Coliseum as part of the home and away with the Bulldogs. Last season, the number one ranked Tigers needed a last second shot to win in Athens 74-72 to complete the season sweep of Tom Crean’s team.
Kentucky Wildcats
This will be the first season since the 2016-2017 season that Auburn will not have a home game against the Wildcats. Last season, Auburn defeated Kentucky for the fifth time in as many seasons 80-71 inside Neville Arena. This upcoming season, the Wildcats will host the matchup at Rupp Arena, a place where Auburn hasn’t won since 1988 and is 2-50 all time.
LSU Tigers
The new look LSU Tigers will host the Auburn Tigers in this season’s matchup in Pete Maravich Assembly Center. After the rather dramatic ending to the Will Wade era in Baton Rouge, LSU named Matt McMahon, former Murray State head coach, the Tiger’s 25th men’s basketball head coach. With the coaching change, LSU was hit hard by the transfer portal and will certainly be a different squad than the one that lost in Auburn last season 70-55.
Ole Miss Rebels
The Rebels will also host Auburn next season as one of the three permanent home and away teams for the Tigers. Last season, Auburn won in Oxford, in the season sweep of the Rebels, 80-71 overcoming an early deficit.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Auburn swept South Carolina last season winning 81-66 in Columbia and 82-71 in an outright SEC Regular Season title clinching win. The Gamecocks parted ways with long time head coach Frank Martin after the SEC Tournament last season and named Lamont Paris, former Chattanooga head coach, the head coach at South Carolina.
Tennessee Volunteers
Auburn will return to Knoxville after a crushing 67-62 loss in Thompson-Boling Arena last season. Since being named the head coach at Auburn, Bruce Pearl has gone 2-4 at his former school.
Texas A&M Aggies
Auburn will also travel to College Station, Texas in the Tiger’s home and away with the Aggies this season. The last time Auburn played in Reed Arena, Texas A&M got the best of the Tigers with a close 68-66 victory in the 2020-2021 season.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Last season, Auburn got the best of the Commodores in a 94-80 win at Neville Arena. This season, the Tigers will travel up to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt inside the very odd Memorial Gymnasium.