Bruce Pearl expects Auburn to play toughest non-conference schedule during his tenure
ALEXANDER CITY, Ala. — Auburn men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl expects his program to play the toughest non-conference schedule the program has faced’ during the Pearl tenure, he said on Monday.
Prior to teeing off at the Bruce Pearl Fore the Children Golf Classic, Pearl spoke to the media about a wide-range of topics. During the media session, Pearl referenced the Tigers’ upcoming strength of schedule.
“We’re going to play a non-conference schedule, some of it has been released and some of it you guys have heard about, but that hasn’t been released yet…we’re going to have the toughest non-conference schedule we’ve ever had,” Pearl said.
Auburn is already set to play in the Maui Invitational this November. The 41st annual tournament will return to the historic Lahaina Civic Center Nov. 25-27, 2024. Auburn joins a field that consists of Memphis, Michigan State, UConn, Colorado, Dayton, Iowa State and North Carolina. Auburn is guaranteed to play three games in the tournament.
Who else might Auburn play?
Sources tell Auburn Live that there are three games being worked on right now. They include playing Purdue in Birmingham, Ala., playing Houston at the Toyota Center in Houston, and playing N.C. State in Atlanta for the annual Holiday Hoopsgiving event. None are done deals at the moment, that’s important to remember, but there is optimism around making all three happen.
“We have to get contracts signed and things like that…,” Pearl said.
Sources also tell Auburn Live that Pearl and the Tigers are pushing for a matchup against Duke in the ACC-SEC Challenge, but it remains to be seen whether or not that matchup materializes or not.
Auburn’s last non-conference slate to feature multiple big-name matchups was probably the 2018-19 season, when Auburn hosted Washington, and then played in the Maui Invitational and faced Xavier, Duke and Arizona. Auburn also traveled to N.C. State that season and played UAB on a neutral floor.
According to KenPom analytics, here are Auburn’s most recent overall strength of schedule ratings:2024: 60th2023: 26th2022: 41st2021: 37th2020: 62nd2019: 11th2018: 57th
The post Bruce Pearl expects Auburn to play toughest non-conference schedule during his tenure appeared first on On3.
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