Auburn basketball head coach Bruce Pearl talks about the Tigers' upcoming conference schedule
During their non-conference play, Auburn basketball has put together the best resume in college basketball. From multiple wins over ranked teams to winning the Maui Invitational and recording only one loss to Duke at Cameron Indoor, the Tigers have been pretty impressive to kick off the year and have been ranked #2 behind Tennessee for weeks.
With the 87-58 win over Monmouth Monday night, the Tigers capped off a nearly perfect non-conference schedule despite playing some tough matchups, many of which were won in neutral locations. Head coach Bruce Pearl knows that there is a lot for his team to be proud of so far.
"So wrapping up a nonconference schedule," said Pearl, per Auburn Undercover. "It was the toughest nonconference schedule in the history of Auburn basketball, and we lost one game at Duke; a close game. So, I'm very, very proud of our kids. A lot of the games we played were on neutral sites and away from home, so we demonstrated that we can win away from Neville (Arena).
However, with conference play starting this weekend, things aren't going to get any easier for Pearl's team. The SEC is shaping up to be the best conference in college basketball this season, and the conference schedule will be loaded with challenges for the Tigers.
"Now, we get ready to start the toughest conference schedule in the history of college basketball," Pearl continued. "Like, there's maybe never been a league like this, and it's going to be, the strong are literally going to be the only ones who survive. Hungry, healthy, humble is the way to get through it. Matchups are going to matter. We're going to lose games. But we can't let a loss affect us the next time out. We've got to be beat instead of beating ourselves. But we're healthy and we're ready."