The Auburn Tigers ' football program may be the focus for most of the Auburn faithful at this point in the season, but it is about time to split focus, as the Tigers' basketball program will take the court for the first time this season later this week.
The Tigers, in their second season under Steven Pearl, will open their preseason play with a matchup against Florida State on Wednesday before a highly uncharacteristic preseason Iron Bowl against Alabama, which is scheduled for the following Thursday.
Then, the Tigers will wrap up their preseason slate against Samford on Oct. 29th before kicking off their season on Nov. 4 against Southeastern Louisiana.
There is plenty that we will be able to learn from the Tigers' first two showings of the year, but there are a few key factors that could determine how the Tigers perform this season.
In a recent interview, Auburn guard Kevin Overton said that he and fellow returning guard Tahaad Pettiford had not practiced together much over the course of the offseason, though he is still confident that they will be able to perform at a high level once the time comes.
The Tigers' exhibition matchups will be the first taste we get of this duo in 2026, now without Keyshawn Hall, who was the Tigers' top producer throughout last season. The burden of production will fall heavily on the two guards, but if they get off to a strong start, their momentum could be quite difficult to stop down the road.
As mentioned, the Tigers have a highly uncharacteristic exhibition matchup this year against Alabama, a team that has been one of the most competitive teams in the country over the past few seasons. The Tigers and Tide have gone back and forth in several close matchups, and the Tigers will have the opportunity to land the first punch quite early this season.
Against Alabama, we will get a preview of how the Tigers may compete in SEC play this season. Of course, it is still a preseason game (even if fans online don't seem to think of it that way), and though both teams will be far from their final form, but having an idea of how the Tigers will mentally approach games like these could prove to be valuable insight.
The Tigers, for the second season in a row, nearly completely overhauled their roster ahead of the season, adding new faces from across the country-and across the Atlantic. Headlined by French 7-footer Narcisse Ngoy, the Tigers boast a strong transfer core that could very well make them a contender this season.
Early chemistry will be important, especially since no two new incoming players transferred in from the same program, and we will get to see that chemistry in its formative phase throughout the preseason.
Only two players from last year's starting rotation, the aforementioned Overton and Pettiford, are expected to contribute to this year's squad, so several transfers will have the opportunity to make their impact on the rotation early, especially in matchups like that against Alabama. Keep an eye out for standouts early- they could be major contributors throughout the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/auburn as Three Key Aspects to Watch in the Auburn Basketball Exhibition Matchups .
