Auburn @ Tennessee preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 31, 2017 ) Tennessee 87, Auburn 77

Auburn aims to stretch its winning streak to 11 games when it opens SEC play at Tennessee on Tuesday. The Tigers won 12 games before the calendar year for only the third time in school history, while the No. 20 Volunteers are looking to bounce back from a loss to Arkansas in their league opener.

Auburn hasn't been to the NCAA Tournament since 2003 and is hoping the strong start will lead to the end of the drought. "The league is the best it's been and the deepest it's been," Tigers coach Bruce Pearl told reporters. "It's going to be a grind night in and night out. Physically, it's going to be a challenge, but I think we are also prepared." Tennessee, which is looking for its 11th consecutive home win over Auburn, blew a nine-point lead with four minutes left in regulation on Saturday en route to a 95-93 overtime loss to the Razorbacks. "We had control of the game for 36 or 37 minutes, but just like (a Dec. 17 loss to) North Carolina, we lost the game in the last two or three minutes," Volunteers sophomore guard Jordan Bone said afterward. "We didn't execute the way we wanted to down the stretch, and they made us pay."

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPNU

ABOUT AUBURN (12-1, 0-0 SEC): Sophomore guard Jared Harper made five 3-pointers while scoring 21 points in a loss to Tennessee last season. Harper is averaging 15.4 points over the past five games and is averaging 12.2 points and a team-best 5.5 assists overall. Junior guard Bryce Brown and sophomore guard Mustapha Heron share the team scoring lead at 15.8 points per game, while junior forward Desean Murray (10.8) also averages in double digits while contributing a team-best 7.4 rebounds.

ABOUT TENNESSEE (9-3, 0-1): Bone (8.6) scored a season-best 21 points in the loss to Arkansas and is averaging 16.5 points over the past two games. Sophomore forward Grant Williams leads the squad with averages of 15.1 points and 6.6 rebounds, while junior forward Admiral Schofield (12.3) and sophomore guard Jordan Bowden (11.6) are also averaging in double digits. Bowden has been lava-hot from 3-point range by making 26-of-42 attempts for an SEC-leading 61.9 percent.

TIP-INS

1. Tennessee is 48-7 all-time against Auburn in games played in Knoxville.

2. The Tigers have made at least 10 3-pointers on seven occasions this season.

3. Williams has scored in double digits in 10 consecutive games.

PREDICTION: Tennessee 77, Auburn 71