Ole Miss at No. 1 Auburn Tigers Preview, How to Watch, News and Notes

No. 1 Auburn Tigers (25-2, 13-1 SEC) vs. Ole Miss Rebels (19-8, 8-6 SEC)
February 26, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. (CT)
Neville Arena (9,121) | Auburn, Ala.

Television: ESPN2
Play-By-Play: Karl Ravech
Color Analyst: Jimmy Dykes

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

» With four games remaining on its regular-season slate, No. 1 Auburn (25-2, 13-1 SEC) hosts the second go-around with Ole Miss (19-8, 8-6 SEC) on Wednesday night at Neville Arena.

» The Tigers are looking for their second series sweep in as many games after completing a sweep of Georgia (W, 82-70) on Saturday.

» The stakes are high as Auburn (13-1) is one game ahead of second-place Alabama (12-3) and two and a half games ahead of third-place Florida (11-4) in the latest SEC standings. The Tigers could clinch at least a share of the SEC regular-season title this week, which would be the fifth in program history (1960, 1999, 2018 and 2022).

» Auburn’s last four games are all Quad 1 opportunities. The Tigers boast the third toughest stretch to close out the regular season among league opponents behind Alabama (vs. No. 24 Mississippi State, at No. 5 Tennessee, vs. No. 3 Florida and at No. 1 Auburn) and Ole Miss (at No. 1 Auburn, vs. Oklahoma, vs. No. 5 Tennessee and at No. 3 Florida).

» AU is ranked No. 1 in this week’s Associated Press and ESPN Coaches polls. It is the seventh-straight week the Tigers have been No. 1 in the AP Poll. Auburn is now one of only two SEC teams to ever be ranked first for at least six-straight weeks in the AP Poll, joining Kentucky.

» The Tigers have been ranked for 30-consecutive weeks, which is the seventh-longest active streak in the country and tied for the second-longest streak in program history. Four of Auburn’s five longest ranked streaks in program history have come since January 2018. Wednesday’s game is the 51st-straight game the Tigers have played as a ranked team.

» A win on Wednesday night, would mark Auburn’s third-straight sweep over the Rebels and would be the Tigers’ eighth-straight win over Ole Miss, which would be a new series record for Auburn (previous was seven-straight in 1964 to 1968 and 1990 to 93).

» Auburn made an SEC season-high 14 three-pointers on 28 attempts in the 10-point road win at Ole Miss. Neither team held a double-digit lead in the first matchup of the season, until the Tigers took a 10-point lead with eight seconds remaining in the game.

OLE MISS AT-A-GLANCE

» Ole Miss is receiving votes in both polls this week. The Rebels lead the country committing just 8.9 turnovers per game and is third with a +5.9 turnover margin.

» Ole Miss has six players averaging double figures led by senior guard Sean Pedulla (14.8 ppg), who had a game-high 29 points in both teams’ previous meeting in Oxford (10-16 FGs, 3-6 3s and 6-8 FTs).

» The Rebels are one win away from recording consecutive 20-win seasons in Chris Beard’s first two seasons. Ole Miss hasn’t had back-to-back 20-win seasons since the 2015-16 and 2016-17 campaigns.

SERIES HISTORY

» Auburn leads 84-64 in the all-time series with Ole Miss. The Tigers have won the last seven-straight meetings between the two schools including a 92-82 road victory in both teams’ first showdown in SEC play on Feb. 1 in Oxford, Miss.

» This is the 149th all-time meeting between Auburn and Ole Miss. The Tigers are looking for their third-straight season sweep over the Rebels.

» Auburn leads 54-17 in games played on the Plains and 7-6 at Neville Arena winning the last three meetings in Auburn and four of the last five.

» AU has won seven straight in the series overall, matching its longest winning streak in the series and is 11-4 in the last 15 games against Ole Miss. Prior to that stretch, the Rebels had won 10 straight and 13 of the last 15 in the series.

AUBURN-OLE MISS SERIES (Last Seven Games)

Jan. 15, 2022 A W, 80-71
Feb. 23, 2022 H W, 77-64
Jan. 10, 2023 A W, 82-73
Feb. 22, 2023 H W, 78-74
Jan. 20, 2024 H W, 82-59
Feb. 3, 2024 A W, 91-77
Feb. 1, 2025 A W, 84-64

COACHING SIDEBARS

» Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl is 16-11 lifetime against Ole Miss including 11-9 during his time on the Plains, which includes seven-straight victories. With the Tigers, Pearl is 5-5 against the Rebels at Neville Arena and 6-4 in Oxford.

» This is the fifth all-time meeting between Coach Pearl and second-year Ole Miss head coach Chris Beard on both ends of the sidelines. Pearl has won all four of the previous meetings between the two coaches including a 92-82 victory at Ole Miss on Feb. 1. Pearl previously led Auburn to a 67-65 victory over Texas Tech at the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 22, 2016, in Cancun, Mexico, before coaching the Tigers to a series sweep of the Rebels last season with an 82-59 victory in Auburn and a 91-77 victory in Oxford overcoming a 13-point first-half deficit.

IT JUST MEANS MORE

» Auburn has put together a 13-1 mark in SEC play, matching the 1998-99 Tigers for the best 14-game start in league play in program history.

» With a win over Ole Miss, Auburn would set a program record for the best SEC start through 15 games at 14-1. The Tigers started 9-0 in SEC play for the third time in program history including the second time in the last four seasons.

» The Tigers previously started off hot at 10-0 in SEC play during the 2021-22 season under head coach Bruce Pearl and 11-0 in 1958-59 under head coach Joel Eaves.

PLAYER TO WATCH: JOHNI BROOME

» Johni Broome is nine points away from becoming the 86th player in NCAA Division I men’s basketball history to eclipse 2,500 career points in his Morehead State and Auburn career combined. He is also 19 boards shy of 1,500 career rebounds.

» Broome recorded his 77th career double-double tallying a game-and Auburn career-high 31 points and 14 rebounds along with four assists and two blocks against UGA on Feb. 22. It was his 17th double-double of the season including eight in 12 league games. In addition, it marked his third game of at least 30 points and 10 rebounds in his three seasons on the Plains.

» Broome is the only player to reach those totals versus a NCAA Division I team this season and one of only two SEC players with that many points, rebounds and assists in a single game this century next to LSU’s Ben Simmons. Follow his National Player of the Year campaign and season highlights at: www.AuburnTigers.com/broome

» The senior big man’s 17 double-doubles this season are the second-most in a season in Auburn history, one behind Mike Mitchell’s 18 double-doubles during the 1974-75 season.

» He has also registered 41 double-doubles since his arrival on the Plains in 2022-23, which is tied for the third-most by any player in the SEC over the last 25 seasons. He trails former Kentucky center Oscar Tshiebwe (48 from 2021-23) and LSU forward Glen Davis (44 from 2004-07).