Auburn faces tough elements in first road trip
AUBURN -- Make sure to set your alarm clock and have coffee ready, it's going to be a late night for Auburn basketball.
Bruce Pearl is hoping to take the Tigers to the mountain top in the SEC, but before he can do that the first-year Auburn coach has to face a brutal first road test – at Colorado for a midnight CT start Tuesday as part of ESPN's College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon.
Agreeing to take on the challenge of taking on Colorado, which would be ranked No. 27 in the Associated Press poll this week, at such a late hour is all part of Pearl's plan of building the Auburn program.
"I want our basketball program part of ESPN's marathon," Pearl said in a statement. "I want our basketball program to eventually become a part of some of the better holiday tournaments. You have to start somewhere."
The challenges begin off the court, as the Tigers arrived on Sunday in order to get acclimated to the altitude in Boulder, Colorado.
"Road trips do bring you together. I love to travel with the team," Pearl said. "Part of the college experience and being a student-athlete is seeing the country and even seeing the world. That Rocky Mountain high is going to be beautiful and and it's going to be snow-capped. For our kids to have that different experience, it's part of the college experience."
On the court, the Buffaloes present a very difficult matchup for the undersized Tigers, who are expected to be without starting guard Tahj Shamsid-Deen (separated shoulder) and have guard Antoine Mason recovering from an ankle sprain.
Colorado big man Josh Scott had 21 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks in a season-opening win over Drexel on Friday. The 6-foot-10 Scott will be a more difficult challenge for Cinmeon Bowers than the Milwaukee team he was able to perform well against inside, with 18 points and 17 rebounds en route to SEC Player of the Week honors.
"I'm really proud of my basketball team for showing a great deal of character and heart in coming back and winning our first game. It was special."
Auburn has lost five straight non-conference games away from Auburn Arena, with the last win coming against the College of Charleston (55-51) on Nov. 16, 2012.
Pearl said he was "really proud" of his team for coming back to win its season opener thanks to a 24-6 run in the second half.
He knows getting the first road win of the season won't be easy against a Colorado squad that's won 19 straight non-conference games and is 32-1 in non-league play under coach Tad Boyle.
"It's going to be a great challenge playing against a top-25 program and a team that is really well coached by Tad Boyle," Pearl said. "Colorado's size will be a factor. We love to run, they love to run."
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WHEN: Midnight today
WHERE: Coors Events Center, Boulder, Colo.
RECORDS: Auburn (1-0), Colorado (1-0)
ON THE AIR: TV — ESPN2; Radio — WMSP-AM 740, WLWI-FM 92.3
AUBURN LINEUP: G K.C. Ross-Miller (6-0, GS) 13 ppg.; G Antoine Mason (6-1, GS) 19.0 ppg.; G K.T. Harrell, (6-4, Sr.) 20.0 ppg.; F Jordon Granger (6-5, Jr.) 8.0 ppg.; F Cinmeon Bowers (6-7, Jr.) 18.0 ppg.; 17.0 rpg.
COLORADO LINEUP: G Askia Bokker (6-2, Sr.) 7.0 ppg., 5.0 rpg.; G Xavier Talton (6-2, Jr.) 8.0 ppg.; G Xavier Johnson (6-7, Jr.) 8.0 ppg.; F Wesley Gordon (6-9, So.) 9.0 ppg.; F Josh Scott (6-10, Jr.) 21.0 ppg., 11.0 rpg.
NOTEWORTHY: This game is part of the College Hoops Tip-Off Marathon and the first time both Colorado and Auburn are playing in the seventh year of the event. In all, 22 games are being played over 29 straight hours on ESPN networks. … Auburn has lost five straight non-conference games away from home. … Colorado has won 19 straight non-conference games following a season-opening win over Drexel on Friday. The Buffaloes are 32-1 in non-conference play under fifth-year coach Tad Boyle. … Auburn and Colorado have met just once before, a 78-72 overtime win by Colorado, as part of the 1996 Big Island Invitational at Hilo, Hawaii.