Auburn basketball: Back-to-back 2021/2022 Saint Louis series announced

As college basketball looks to have a normal season once again in 2021-22–following what was one of the most topsy turvy seasons on record in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic–Auburn basketball has high hopes and several big-time G5 schools on the schedule.

The high hopes come from a rock star recruiting class by Bruce Pearl and co. 2020-21 results be damned, the Tigers coaching staff was able to reel in several notable transfers from the portal including likely starters Wendell Green Jr., Desi Sills, and former 5-star Georgia player of the year Walker Kessler.

Losing Trey Alexander certainly hurt, but Pearl may have retroactively recruited his replacement when he was able to sign Zep Jasper out of the College of Charleston.

As for the non-conference matchups worth getting excited about, Auburn basketball has added another to next year’s schedule after announcing a matchup with the USF Bulls earlier this month.

And while that announcement’s excitement was more location-based, today’s announcement should excite basketball purists.

John Rothstein announced via his verified Twitter page that the Tigers would be taking on one of the better teams in the underrated A-10 Conference, Saint Louis:

A trip to the Gateway to the West this season is due for the comeback team of the year hopeful Tigers, while a trip to the Plains is on the Billikens’ itinerary in 2022.

Saint Louis has had an uneventful recruiting cycle but has its eyes on 4-star Orlando-based recruit Jordan Shorter. Oklahoma State is in the lead for the forward, but a commit to Saint Louis could give Isaac Okoro a date to circle on his calendar to bring his A-game in non-conference play.