Auburn, Alary. – Historically a tough game for Auburn, even at Neville Arena, Texas A&M comes to the Plains on Tuesday with a new coach and a new style of play.
Goodbye Buzz. Hello Bucky.
Former Samford and Mountain Brook high school coach Bucky McMillan returns to his home state after succeeding Buzz Williams and implementing an up-tempo style known as “Bucky Ball.”
“Really dynamic offensively. The first shot they like goes up,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said of the Aggies, who rank fifth in the nation averaging 94.7 points per game. “They try to speed you up, defensively. They’ll press for 40 minutes.”
In Auburn’s SEC opener on Saturday, the Tigers nearly pulled off a ranked victory over 23rd-ranked Georgia, losing 104-100 in overtime, a result that left Auburn determined to strengthen its defense.
“We had 127 defensive errors and we were up three in overtime with three minutes left with the ball,” Pearl said. “We also missed 12 free throws. If we cut down on some of our defensive mistakes and made a few more free throws, you can have a nice road win against a ranked team.
“Here we are, we just need to execute a little better and clean up some spots on the defensive end.”
Auburn freshmen forwards Filip Jovic and Sebastian Williams-Adams, who average 13.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, will play prominent roles in the Tigers’ home opener against the SEC.
“Unbelievable spark coming off the bench,” Pearl said of Jovic, who recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds at Georgia. “He was our best one-on-one defender. He was the best at guarding their guards and he was the best at guarding their bigs. He has a different level of pride. If he can continue to play like that and give us those minutes off the bench, it will be great for us.”
A skilled ball handler, Williams-Adams will be a key factor Tuesday in Auburn’s ability to beat Texas A&M’s press.
“To be decisive,” Williams-Adams said of his offensive press mentality. “Indecision when teams are rushing you will kill you. Be aggressive. Create not only for myself but also for my teammates.”
Looking to defeat the Aggies for the third time in nine tries at Neville Arena, Auburn (9-5, 0-1) hosts Texas A&M (11-3, 1-0) Tuesday at 8 p.m. CT on SEC Network. Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey will call the action for Auburn Sports Network listeners.
With wins over Oregon and NC State, the Tigers are 2-0 in Quad 2 games and will have a third opportunity in Tuesday’s late show.
“I can’t wait to be back in front of our fans in the jungle,” Pearl said. “It’s all there. It’s just about getting it out and doing it collectively for 40 minutes.”
Jeff Shearer is a senior writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer
