LIVE End Nov 7
STON 73 5.5 o138.0
CMU 72 -5.5 u138.0
LIVE 04:02 2nd Nov 7
DETU 61 24.0 o140.5
L-IL 83 -24.0 u140.5
LIVE 07:39 1st Nov 7
MTST 33 17.0 o144.5
WIS 39 -17.0 u144.5
LIVE 01:30 2nd Nov 7
FAMU 69 31.0 o150.5
SMU 102 -31.0 u150.5
LIVE 11:16 1st Nov 7
NIAG 14 30.0 o144.0
MSU 18 -30.0 u144.0
LIVE 19:11 1st Nov 7
PV 20 17.0 o153.5
DEP 45 -17.0 u153.5
LIVE 01:09 2nd Nov 7
MILW 68 6.5 o156.5
UNI 87 -6.5 u156.5
LIVE 17:14 1st Nov 7
NEOM 5 4.5 o149.5
STET 5 -4.5 u149.5
LIVE 04:19 1st Nov 7
BUCK 21 -3.0 o145.5
USI 22 3.0 u145.5
LIVE 02:59 2nd Nov 7
ILST 66 3.5 o138.0
NDSU 62 -3.5 u138.0
LIVE 18:51 2nd Nov 7
JVST 35 2.0 o132.5
AFA 24 -2.0 u132.5
LIVE 18:02 1st Nov 7
CHAT 3 15.0 o138.0
SMC 2 -15.0 u138.0
LIVE 20:00 1st Nov 7
IDST 0 24.0 o137.5
USC 0 -24.0 u137.5
LIVE 17:45 1st Nov 7
CP 8 14.5 o160.0
CAL 2 -14.5 u160.0
UCD -2.0 o143.0
IDHO 2.0 u143.0
CARK 29.0 o149.0
UTAH -29.0 u149.0
Final Nov 7
RMU 77 7.0 o146.0
DEL 81 -7.0 u146.0
Final Nov 7
NCAT 64 26.5 o154.5
WAKE 80 -26.5 u154.5
Final Nov 7
CHSO 66 7.5 o147.5
UNF 90 -7.5 u147.5
Final Nov 7
UMES 84 19.0 o140.5
PENN 85 -19.0 u140.5
Final Nov 7
USM 84 13.5 o153.5
UAB 98 -13.5 u153.5
Final Nov 7
JAC 60 24.5 o153.5
FLA 81 -24.5 u153.5
Final Nov 7
SOU 74 26.0 o161.0
IOWA 89 -26.0 u161.0
Auburn 1st Southeastern27-4
Tennessee 3rd Southeastern23-7

Auburn @ Tennessee preview

Thompson-Boling Arena

Last Meeting ( Feb 27, 2021 ) Tennessee 72, Auburn 77

As the season has progressed, so too has Auburn's Walker Kessler.

From November, when he averaged 7.7 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.2 blocks against modest competition, to this month, when his numbers are pumped up to 13.9 points, 10.1 rebounds and 6.6 blocks against rugged competition in the Southeast Conference, it's clear that the 7-foot-1 Kessler is a blossoming force.

Saturday afternoon, when No. 3 Auburn (25-3, 13-2) meets No. 17 Tennessee (20-7, 11-4) in Knoxville, Tenn., it will be another chance to see how far Kessler has come.

The difference between Kessler's game now compared to last year at North Carolina is startling. With a Tar Heels team that was mediocre (18-11) by the standards of the blue blood franchise, Kessler played just 8.8 minutes per game, averaging 4.4 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.9 blocks.

Even Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is surprised by Kessler's transformation.

"You just can't believe some of the stuff he can get," Pearl said of Kessler's shot-blocking ability. "When he's playing well, he's got as much impact as any player in college basketball, because he impacts the rim both offensively and defensively. He's the best shot-blocker I've ever had."

Wednesday night in a 77-64 win over Ole Miss, Kessler accumulated 12 points, 10 rebounds and eight blocks. If Kessler had been needed for more than the 28 minutes he played, he might have registered his third triple-double of the season. He's the only player in the nation with two.

Combined with Auburn's leading scorer (16.2 points per game) and potential NBA No. 1 draft choice, 6-10 Jabari Smith, the Tigers boast a devastating frontcourt. Smith had 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists against Ole Miss.

As it tries to maintain its lead in the SEC, Auburn will be tested by a Tennessee team that is undefeated (14-0) at home with wins over ranked teams Kentucky, Arizona and LSU.

The Volunteers had an impressive tuneup Tuesday night at Missouri, winning 80-61, as Kennedy Chandler had 23 points, eight rebounds and six assists, continuing to show his growth after an inconsistent start to his college career.

"Kennedy was spot on with the balance we need him to have," Tennessee coach Rick Barnes said. "He is a different player than he was back in December."

Four weeks into the season, the freshman point guard hit 13 of 20 shots, scoring 27 points in a win at Colorado. The performance seemed to be a breakout and a preview of what was to come. But Chandler struggled the rest of December, making just 14 of 47 shots and averaging 10.2 points in the following four games.

"It looked so easy for him early in the year. In some ways, I thought that was a curse," Barnes said. "He has just matured so much in understanding and learning there is so much more to the game than what he thought."

This will be the only regular-season meeting of the teams this year. While Tennessee holds a 78-44 edge in the series, Auburn has won the past six games, a streak that dates to the 2017-18 season.

-Field Level Media

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