Auburn Faces Key Test at Arkansas Without Leading Scorer Keyshawn Hall
Auburn’s Saturday night showdown at Arkansas just got a lot tougher - and it was already shaping up to be a serious challenge. The Tigers will be without their leading scorer, Keyshawn Hall, who has been ruled out for the game per the SEC’s official pregame availability report.
No reason was given for Hall’s absence, as is standard with the league’s injury disclosures. But what we do know is this: Hall didn’t play the final 12 minutes and 38 seconds of Auburn’s loss to Vanderbilt earlier this week, and head coach Steven Pearl described that decision as “a coach’s decision.” Now, he won’t play at all against an Arkansas team that’s been red-hot since the Tigers blew them out in January.
Hall’s Absence: A Massive Void
Let’s not sugarcoat it - this is a major blow. Hall isn’t just Auburn’s top scorer at 20.7 points per game; he’s fourth in the entire SEC.
He’s been the engine of this offense, the guy who can create his own shot, get to the line, and stretch the floor. And it’s not just about the points - it’s about the gravity he brings to the court.
Defenses have to account for him on every possession.
Just look at what he did the last time Auburn faced Arkansas. Hall torched the Razorbacks for 32 points on 11-of-14 shooting, including a lights-out 4-of-5 from three. He also dished out five assists in what was arguably Auburn’s most complete performance of the season - a 22-point statement win that turned heads across the conference.
Now, Auburn will try to replicate that performance without the guy who made it all go.
What Happened Against Vanderbilt?
The first sign that something was off came Tuesday night. Hall struggled mightily in Auburn’s home loss to Vanderbilt, going scoreless on all eight of his two-point attempts and finishing with just 13 points - well below his season average. His -14 plus/minus was the lowest on the team.
Pearl made a switch midway through the second half, opting to ride with Elyjah Freeman at the small forward spot. Freeman responded with a team-best +8, and Auburn clawed back from a 14-point hole to make it a four-point game. The Tigers didn’t complete the comeback, but the new lineup brought energy and defensive intensity that had been lacking.
“We’d obviously love for Key to close out games for us,” Pearl said Friday. “He’s a guy that can get to the foul line and do a lot of great things.
When he’s in games, we’re obviously better. But the lineup we had out there cut the lead from 14 to 4, so that group did a really good job.”
As for how Hall responded to the benching? Pearl kept that behind closed doors.
“He’s done a good job this year in those areas,” Pearl said. “But those are conversations that we kind of keep private and behind closed doors.”
Arkansas Is Rolling
This isn’t the same Arkansas team Auburn dismantled back in early January. Since that loss, the Razorbacks have won six of their last eight, including dominant road wins over Mississippi State and LSU and a 25-point thrashing of Vanderbilt at home. Their only recent stumble came in an 85-77 loss to Kentucky - the only time in the last six games they’ve scored fewer than 83 points.
Arkansas currently boasts the No. 6 offense in the country, according to KenPom, and they’re just one game back in the SEC title race with seven to play. In other words, this is a team with momentum, firepower, and something to prove - especially after what happened in Auburn Arena last month.
Auburn’s Challenge: Replacing Hall’s Impact
Without Hall, Auburn’s rotation will have to adjust - and quickly. That likely means more minutes and a bigger role for Freeman, who earned trust with his play against Vanderbilt. It also puts added pressure on the rest of the Tigers’ core to step up and fill the scoring void.
KeShawn Murphy, for one, isn’t backing down from the challenge.
“We’ve got a chance to go beat a really good Arkansas team again,” Murphy said Friday. “And this time, it’ll be plus-two, because it’s on the road.
We’re comfortable where we are. … We got to go out there and get it done.”
What’s at Stake
Auburn comes into this one riding a three-game skid, and the odds are stacked against them - they’re projected as a 7-point underdog. But the upside is clear.
A win in Fayetteville wouldn’t just snap the losing streak, it would deliver a significant boost to their NCAA Tournament résumé. According to advanced metrics, it would be worth a +0.80 bump in Wins Above Bubble - a huge swing in mid-February.
Florida, for comparison, got a +0.92 boost from their recent road win. That’s the kind of value this game brings.
Final Word
No Keyshawn Hall means Auburn will have to dig deep - and find a new formula - to pull off the upset in one of the SEC’s toughest environments. The Tigers have shown flashes of resilience, and they’ve already proven they can beat this Arkansas team.
But doing it on the road, without their leading scorer, against a surging opponent? That’s a different level of difficulty.
We’ll see if Auburn is up for it. Tip-off comes Saturday night in Fayetteville.