AUBURN, Ala. – Historically a challenging matchup for Auburn, even at Neville Arena, Texas A&M comes to the Plains Tuesday with a new coach and a new playing style.
Goodbye, Buzz. Hello Bucky.
Former Samford and Mountain Brook High School coach Bucky McMillan returns to his home state after taking over for Buzz Williams and implementing an up-temp style known as “Bucky Ball.”
“Really dynamic offensively. The first shot they like is going up,” Auburn coach Steven Pearl said of the Aggies, who rank fifth in the country averaging 94.7 points per game. “They try to speed you up, defensively. They’re going to press for 40 minutes.”
In Auburn’s SEC opener Saturday, the Tigers nearly brought home a ranked win from No. 23 Georgia, falling 104-100 in overtime, a result that left Auburn determined to shore up its defense.
“We made 127 defensive mistakes and we’re 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 make a few more free throws, you’re able to get a great road win against a ranked team.
“We’re right there, we’ve just got to execute a little bit better and clean up a few things on the defensive side.”
Auburn freshman forwards Filip Jovic and Sebastian Williams-Adams, who combine to average 13.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, will play a prominent role in the Tigers’ SEC home opener.
“An unbelievable spark off the bench,” said Pearl 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 one guarding their guards and he was the best guarding their bigs. He has a different level of pride. If he can continue play like that and give us those minutes off the bench, it’s going to be great for us.”
A skilled ballhandler, 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 its press offense mindset. “Indecisiveness when teams press you will kill you. Be aggressive. Not only creating for myself but for my teammates as well.”
Seeking 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 listeners on the Auburn Sports Network.
With wins over Oregon and NC State, the Tigers are 2-0 in Quad 2 games and will get a third opportunity in Tuesday’s late show.
“Looking forward to being back in front of our fans in the Jungle,” Pearl said. “It’s all in there. It’s just a matter of us bringing it out and collectively doing it for 40 minutes.”
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer
