Arkansas goes for another home upset vs. No. 14 Auburn (Feb 26, 2018)
Arkansas has a chance to make school history when No. 14 Auburn visits Bud Walton Arena for Senior Night on Tuesday with chance to secure at least a piece of the SEC regular-season crown.
The Razorbacks will be looking for their fourth win over a ranked opponent at home this season while adding another accomplishment to its NCAA Tournament resume.
Arkansas already took down Minnesota when it was ranked 14th earlier in the season, Tennessee and Texas A&M. An upset of Auburn on Tuesday would give the Razorbacks four home wins over ranked teams for the first time in program history.
It won't be easy, though.
Auburn, which hasn't lost back-to-back games all season, is coming off a 72-66 loss at Florida on Saturday. The Tigers have lost two of three but arrive in Fayetteville, Ark., in first place in the SEC.
A win over the Razorbacks or a loss by Tennessee to Mississippi State on Tuesday would clinch at least a share of the regular-season conference championship.
"We are still in first place," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl told his team after the Florida loss. "We didn't act like it tonight."
It was Auburn's second game since losing forward Anfernee McLemore to a season-ending leg injury.
"We definitely miss Anfernee," Pearl said. "But we're getting more Horace Spencer, more Chuma Okeke, more Desean Murray in his position, and those guys are all good players."
The Tigers (24-5, 12-5 SEC) did get Mustapha Heron back against Florida. Heron, Auburn's leading scorer, missed last week's win over Alabama with the flu. He returned against the Gators and scored a team-high 22 points, his seventh 20-point-plus performance of the season.
"I was just staying aggressive, allowing my teammates to get me the ball," Heron said after the game. "I was able to get two days of good sweat, so I feel a lot better.
"We have to go back and look at the film, get better and get ready for Tuesday. It's a short turnaround, so (we have to) get ready for Tuesday."
Auburn defeated Arkansas 88-77 when the teams met Jan. 6. Heron led five Tigers in double figures with 17 points.
"They bring a team that can really shoot the basketball," Arkansas coach Mike Anderson said. "They spread the floor."
The Razorbacks (20-9, 9-7) are led by their high-scoring senior backcourt tandem of Jaylen Barford and Daryl Macon. Barford is averaging 18.1 points per game and Macon is right behind at 17.3.
Anderson was pleased with his team's toughness in Saturday's win over Alabama.
"We got pushed around in the Kentucky game," Anderson said. "So our mindset was no more of that. We really got pushed up under the basket."
Auburn will return home to close out the regular season against South Carolina on Saturday. Arkansas travels to Missouri on Saturday.
The SEC tournament tips off March 7 at Scottrade Center in St. Louis.