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Vanderbilt Seeks Historic Win at Auburn
9 Feb
Summary
- Vanderbilt aims for first win at Auburn since 2016.
- Sophomore Tyler Tanner leads Vanderbilt with 18.6 PPG.
- Auburn seeks to avoid consecutive home losses.
Seeking to end a decade-long drought, No. 15 Vanderbilt prepares to face Auburn on Tuesday, aiming for their first victory at the Tigers' home court since February 13, 2016. The Commodores are coming off a surprising 92-91 home loss to Oklahoma, which snapped a three-game winning streak. Despite this setback, Vanderbilt holds its best start to a season since 2007-08.
Head coach Mark Byington emphasized the need for improvement after the team's uncharacteristic performance. Vanderbilt's offense, averaging 88.9 points per game, is largely fueled by sophomore Tyler Tanner, who ranks fifth in the SEC with 18.6 points per game. He has stepped up significantly due to injuries to key players Duke Miles and Frankie Collins, both sidelined with knee issues and lacking return timelines.
Auburn, with a 14-9 record, is looking to prevent its first set of consecutive home losses since February 2021. The Tigers recently fell to rival Alabama 96-92 at home. First-year head coach Steven Pearl acknowledged the challenge of preparing for Vanderbilt's diverse offensive sets, particularly given his team's defensive struggles, allowing 78.4 points per game, the third-highest in the SEC. Keyshawn Hall leads Auburn's offense, averaging 23.8 points over the last five games.
