The wait is almost over. Come Saturday night, the rest of the country will be locked in to watch No. 1 Auburn host No. 6 Tennessee basketball. This is going to be one of the best tilts of the season, with ESPN's College GameDay set to be on hand too.
Tennessee was once ranked the top team in the country, but the Tigers claimed that spot after the Vols' loss to Florida and they haven't given it up since. Despite Tennessee also suffering a heartbreaking loss to Vandy, Bruce Pearl knows how dangerous this team can be.
Leading up to tip-off, Pearl was quite humble in terms of making it clear that he knows Tennessee is going to present his squad with a ton of issues. At the same time, he also let Rick Barnes know just how much he respects what he's been able to get done in Knoxville.
Bruce Pearl has all the respect in the world for Tennessee coach Rick Barnes
“Got such great respect for Coach Barnes and their coaching staff, and he's done an amazing job with that Tennessee team," Pearl said via The Auburn Plainsman. "They play as good a defense as anybody in the country. They're one of the best offensive rebound teams in the country, and they shoot it really well from three. They've got three or four guys that can really, really knock it down, and it's a tough cover. Only four teams have scored 70 points or more against them all season long. Like us, they play an incredible schedule.”
The feeling is surely mutual, as Barnes has seen what Pearl has accomplished with the Tigers from the moment he took over as head coach. Auburn has looked sensational this season, posting a 17-1 overall record. This team is also 8-0 in SEC play and a perfect 5-0 at home.
Yeah, it's not going to be easy for Tennessee to post a road upset, but the locker room is feeling pretty confident following the 68-56 win over No. 14 Mississippi State on Tuesday. In that W, sharpshooter Chaz Lanier was able to get back on track with a game-high 23 points.
Lanier had been off in his previous three games, but it was nice for him to get back over 20 points the way he did. It goes without saying, but the star transfer will have to be at his best for Tennessee to have a shot in taking down No. 1 Auburn. Barnes knows Lanier has what it takes to put on a show, while Pearl will try to come up with a game plan to slow him down.