Yesterday was a big day for Auburn basketball as it marked the second time in program history that the Tigers have been ranked #1 in the AP Poll. After being stuck at #2 behind Tennessee for six weeks, the Tigers rose to the top after beating South Carolina with a Tennessee loss to Kansas earlier in the week.
Auburn got their 66-63 victory over the Gamecocks without star player Johni Broome in the second half following his ankle injury. Now, the Tigers will have to prepare to take on a tough Mississippi State team in Neville Arena without the big man, who is out for an undetermined amount of time with an ankle sprain.
But first, the team will take a brief moment to celebrate their #1 ranking. Below is how head coach Bruce Pearl and players reacted, per Auburn Undercover.
Bruce Pearl: "I think it's deserving, considering the schedule we've played and the teams that we've beaten — the great teams that we've beaten — and the job this team has done. I don't know that we're the best team in the country right now. Probably not right now, because we're obviously not at full strength."
Chaney Johnson: "I can tell that to my kids that I was part of Auburn's No. 1-ranked team in the country. Definitely a blessing."
Dylan Cardwell: "Being No. 1 is cool; it really doesn't change who we are, it doesn't change our M.O. It's not the end of the road for us. No. 1 is cool, but we can't hang a banner for No. 1."
#15 Mississippi State will arrive on the Plains with a 14-2 overall record and a 2-1 conference record. The Bulldogs beat Vanderbilt and South Carolina but lost to Kentucky by five points. Their non-conference loss is to Butler.
The Tigers and the Bulldogs will tipoff at 6:00 p.m. central from Neville Arena.