AUBURN AUTHORITY

Xavier to play home-and-home series with Auburn

James Crepea
Montgomery Advertiser
Bruce Pearl will welcome Xavier to Auburn Arena next season and take the Tigers to Cincinnati in 2015-16, according to a report by CBS Sports.

AUBURN -- Bruce Pearl has landed a marquee non-conference opponent to come to Auburn Arena this fall.

Perennial power Xavier is coming to the Plains this season and Auburn will travel to the Cintas Center in Cincinnati in 2015-16, the schools announced Tuesday.

"Xavier has been a consistent top 25 program," Pearl said in a statement. "They are talented and play an attractive style. Our fans will appreciate watching them."

Xavier, which moved to the Big East last year, finished last season with a 21-13 record after losing to North Carolina State in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.

Coach Chris Mack has led the Musketeers to four NCAA Tournament appearances in five seasons, including two trips to the Sweet 16.

Auburn trails the all-time series with Xavier 3-4, including losses in four straight. The teams met as part of a home-and-home in 2007-08 and 2008-09 after last playing in Dec. 1972.

Pearl coached against Xavier during the 2007-08 season while at Tennessee, defeating the Musketeers 82-75 at Cintas Center in a rare home loss for Xavier.

Pearl, who confirmed the teams will play Dec. 20, has made a point of bolstering Auburn's non-conference schedule.

The Tigers already have their season-opener set against Pearl's former Wisconsin-Milwaukee team, and will host Middle Tennessee. Auburn will travel to Colorado, Texas Tech and Clemson and Pearl is working on two neutral site and as many as five other non-conference home games.

"My teams have always been high in the RPI because I just believe that's the way you build a program, that's where you want it," Pearl said. "We're not ready for it right now at Auburn but we're going to play that kind of schedule."

Xavier, which lost its two leading scorers from last season, will still be a difficult challenge for an Auburn squad that finished 14-16 last season and returns just two starters.

Traveling to Cincinnati in 2015-16 won't be any easier as the Musketeers are nearly unbeatable at the 10,250 seat Cintas Center. Xavier was 15-2 at home last season and is 178-23 all-time at the building.

"If we could go and you can go on the road and beat a team that you know is going to be in the tournament, that win is going to serve you all year long," Pearl said in reference to the Colorado game last week. "Every team in the SEC needed to have a win like Tennessee had over Virginia that just carried them all the way in. Whether it be any one of three or four opponents that you might schedule, you got to win that game and then hope that team wins the rest of the year and carries you into the tournament. We didn't have enough of those wins as a league last year."