Arkansas Razorbacks at No. 1 Auburn Tigers Preview, How to Watch, Notes

No. 1 Auburn Tigers (23-2, 11-1 SEC) vs. Arkansas Razorbacks (15-10, 4-8 SEC)
February 19, 2025 at 8:00 p.m. (CT)
Neville Arena (9,121) | Auburn, Ala.

Television: ESPN
Play-By-Play: Dave Pasch
Color Analyst: Jay Williams
Sideline Reporter: Alyssa Lang

Radio: Auburn Sports Network
Play-By-Play: Andy Burcham
Color Analyst: Randall Dickey

» Riding a two-game win streak, No. 1 Auburn (23-2, 11-1 SEC) returns home to the friendly confines of Neville Arena. The Tigers open a three-game homestand beginning with Arkansas (15-10, 4-8 SEC) on Wednesday night. They will also be tested by Georgia and Ole Miss during this important stretch.

» As the SEC regular-season race heats up, Auburn (11-1) holds a one-game lead over Alabama (10-2) with six games remaining. Florida and Texas A&M (9-3) are two games back and Missouri (8-4) three games back.

» Not only does Auburn continue to lead the country with 14 Quad 1 wins, six more than any other team in the country, the Tigers own wins over four of the five teams ranked No. 4-8 in this week’s AP Poll (Alabama, Houston, Tennessee and Iowa State). AU’s two losses are to No. 2 Florida and No. 3 Duke. The Tigers also have wins over four other teams in this week’s poll (Purdue, Missouri, Mississippi State and Ole Miss).

» The Tigers have been ranked No. 1 a school-record, six-straight weeks in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll. Auburn and Kentucky are the only SEC men’s basketball programs that have been ranked No. 1 in the AP Top 25 for at least six-straight weeks all-time.

» The Tigers have sold out 66-consecutive home games at Neville Arena, where they are 54-4 overall over the last four seasons. Alabama, Texas A&M, Kentucky and Florida are the only schools to pull off a victory at one of the toughest home-court environments in the country – The Jungle.

» Thirteen NBA scouts will be in attendance representing the New Orleans Pelicans, Milwaukee Bucks, Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets, Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs.

SCOUTING ARKANSAS

» Arkansas owns wins over No. 14 Michigan (89-87) and a 10-point win at No. 12 Kentucky (89-79) in Coach Calipari’s return to Rupp Arena.

» Arkansas is 3-2 in its last five games since inserting sophomore Zvonimir Ivisic into the starting lineup after a 1-6 SEC start. The 7-foot-2 forward is averaging 17.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game and shooting 55.6% from 3-point range over that span. The Razorbacks’ two losses during that period were a four-point loss to No. 3 Alabama and an eight-point loss at No. 8 Texas A&M.

» Sophomore D.J. Wagner, son of former NBA player Dejuan Wagner, has moved to the point guard spot since Arkansas lost Boogie Fland to an injury.

» Arkansas has four players averaging double figures including Adou Thiero (15.8 ppg), Fland (15.1 ppg), Wagner (10.2 ppg) and Johnell Davis (10.1 ppg).

» The Razorbacks play nine players over 15 minutes per contest.

SERIES HISTORY

» This is the 61st all-time meeting between Auburn and Arkansas with the Razorbacks holding a 38-22 series advantage.

» The Tigers handed the Razorbacks their worst loss in the history of Bud Walton Arena in an 83-51 (+38) victory in last year’s SEC opener. They have won two of the last three meetings between the two teams including a 72-59 victory at Neville Arena on Jan. 7, 2023.

» Auburn leads 15-13 in games played in Auburn. However, the Razorbacks hold a 6-3 advantage at Neville Arena.

» The Tigers have won three of the last four meetings on their home court.

AUBURN-ARKANSAS SERIES (Last Eight Games)

Feb. 20, 2019 H W, 79-56

Feb. 4, 2020 A W, 79-76 (OT)

Dec. 30, 2020 H L, 85-97

Jan. 20, 2021 A L, 73-75

Feb. 8, 2022 A L, 76-80 (OT)

Jan. 7, 2023 H W, 72-59

Mar. 9, 2023 N L, 73-76

Jan. 6, 2024 A W, 83-51

MOST CONSECUTIVE WEEKS RANKED IN PROGRAM HISTORY

» Auburn has been ranked in the AP Poll for 29 consecutive weeks, which is the third-longest streak in program history.

» The Tigers have been ranked 105 weeks under head coach Bruce Pearl compared to 90 weeks before Pearl including 40 weeks in the Top 10 compared to 46 weeks prior to him.

» Auburn has been ranked No. 1 twice in program history, both under Pearl, for three weeks in 2022 and a school-record six weeks this season.

COACHING SIDEBARS

» Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is 11-10 against Arkansas including 6-7 during his time on the Plains. Pearl was 5-3 against the Razorbacks, while the head coach at Tennessee.

» The Tigers are 3-3 in Fayetteville, 3-3 in Auburn and 0-1 at neutral sites in the series under Pearl. The Volunteers were 2-1 in Fayetteville, 2-1 in Knoxville and 1-1 in the SEC Tournament against the Razorbacks under Pearl.

» In head-to-head coaching matchups, Pearl is 7-4 in home games against first-year Arkansas head coach John Calipari including 5-2 at Neville Arena and 1-9 on the road. The one road win came when Pearl’s No. 2 Tennessee Vols beat Calipari’s No. 1-ranked Memphis Tigers, 66-62, on Feb. 23, 2008 in Memphis.

» Two of the deans of the SEC, Calipari and Pearl rank first and second among active head coaches in wins at an SEC school with 425 victories and 368 wins respectively. The two coaches also rank first and second in SEC wins among the league’s active head coaches with 202 SEC wins and 166 SEC victories respectively.

MOST REGULAR SEASON WINS IN PROGRAM HISTORY

» Auburn has won 23 regular-season games for the sixth time in program history including the fifth time in the last eight seasons.

2021-22 27

1998-99 26

2019-20 25

2017-18 25

2023-24 24

2024-25 23

2018-19 22

NO ROAD BLOCKS FOR TIGERS

» Auburn has won a school-record seven SEC road games this season. Additionally, the Tigers have won three road games over ranked teams beating No. 23 Georgia, 70-68, in Athens, No. 23 Ole Miss, 92-82, in Oxford and No. 2 Alabama, 94-85, in Tuscaloosa.

» The Tigers previously won six road games in SEC play in 1950, 1970, 1999 and 2022.

PLAYER TO WATCH: DENVER JONES

» For the first time of his career, Auburn senior guard Denver Jones garnered Southeastern Conference Player of the Week honors on Monday after an impressive week on both ends of the floor by leading the Tigers to road wins at Vanderbilt (W, 80-68) and at No. 2 Alabama (W, 94-85).

» Jones averaged a team-leading 18.5 points per game against the Commodores and Crimson Tide combined. He also shot 63.2 percent from the field, 66.7 percent from beyond the arc and perfect from the free throw line (5‐for‐5).

» One of the top defensive players in the country, Jones also limited the opposing teams’ leading scorers to a combined 9-of-28 (32.1 percent) shooting from the field and 3-of-16 (18.8 percent) from 3-point range.

» He scored 14 of his game-and season‐high 21 points in the first half at Vanderbilt. Four days later, he added 16 points on 5‐of‐9 shooting from the floor, 3‐of‐5 from long range and 3‐of‐3 free throws at Alabama. Jones has scored in double figures in 17 of 25 games this season.

» Jones became just the third-ever player in program history to earn USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors next to Walker Kessler (2022) and Johni Broome (2024). He was one of five national honorees next to Jalen Terry of Eastern Michigan (MAC), John Tonje of Wisconsin (Big Ten), JT Toppin of Texas Tech (Big 12) and Corey Washington of Wichita State (AAC) for games played through Feb. 16.