After clawing their way back to .500 in SEC play with a hard-fought win over Ole Miss, Auburn basketball (11-7, 3-3 SEC) now faces a massive test: a road matchup against the reigning national champions, the Florida Gators.
This isn’t just another conference game - it’s a rematch with some history behind it. Florida got the better of Auburn twice last season, including a season-ending loss for the Tigers in the 2025 Final Four.
Both matchups were close - decided by nine and six points - but the Gators came out on top each time. Now, Florida enters this weekend ranked No. 16 in the latest AP poll, sitting at 14-5 overall and 5-1 in conference play.
Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Auburn interim head coach Steven Pearl knows exactly what kind of challenge his team is walking into.
“Another great opportunity against another great team,” Pearl said Thursday. “We seem to be catching teams at their best.
Florida’s playing really good basketball. Won five straight.
Best team in our league, I think, by a pretty significant margin.”
Pearl didn’t hold back in his praise for Florida head coach Todd Golden, calling him “probably the best coach in our league right now.” That’s high praise - and it’s not unwarranted. Golden’s squad is hitting its stride, especially at home, and doing it with a bruising, physical style that starts in the frontcourt.
Florida’s size is no joke, especially at the three through five positions. The Gators are one of the most physically imposing teams in the country, and they’re absolutely dominant on the glass. They currently rank second in the nation in rebounding, pulling down 46.5 boards per game - a number that reflects both effort and sheer size.
Leading the way is Thomas Haugh, a versatile forward who’s quietly become one of the most impactful players in the SEC. Haugh is averaging 16.9 points per game while shooting a team-best 46.7% from the field. He’s not just scoring - he’s doing it efficiently, and he’s doing it against top-tier competition.
Auburn fans will remember Haugh well. He was a problem in last year’s Final Four, going toe-to-toe with NBA-level talents like Johni Broome and Dylan Cardwell - and holding his own. Now, he’s drawing real attention from NBA scouts, popping up in multiple mock drafts.
“His progression from the time he was a freshman to where he’s at now just speaks volumes of what the staff and Todd have done for him,” Pearl said. “And he plays like he’s trying to reward them every night, which is pretty cool.”
Pearl added that Haugh is the kind of player who just doesn’t make many mistakes. “He’s a handful, and he just makes the right play all the time.
He’s going to be out there the entire game. So, we just got to try and limit his effective and positive plays as much as we possibly can.”
But Florida isn’t just a frontcourt-driven team. Coming into the season, much of the buzz was about their revamped backcourt, thanks to two big transfer pickups: Boogie Fland from Arkansas and Xaivian Lee from Princeton.
Both guards needed some time to adjust in non-conference play, but they’ve found their rhythm. Fland leads the team in assists (3.5 per game) and steals (1.7 per game), while both he and Lee are averaging 11.4 points per contest. That balance has made Florida even more dangerous.
“When those guys are making shots, they’re a different basketball team,” Pearl said. “They’ve shown over the last five [games] that they’re capable of doing so. I think they’re just more comfortable.”
And that comfort is translating into wins. Florida has rattled off five straight, looking every bit like the defending champs they are - but with a twist. Pearl noted that this Gators team isn’t just surviving the pressure of being the hunted - they’ve flipped the script.
“When you’re defending national champions, like every single night, you’re going to get everyone’s best shot,” Pearl said. “I think they’re being more so the hunter as of late than the hunted, and that’s why they’ve won five straight, and are in the position that they’re in right now.”
For Auburn, this is more than just a measuring stick. It’s a chance to see how far they’ve come - and how far they still need to go - against one of the best teams in college basketball.
The Tigers have shown flashes this season, but to knock off Florida in Gainesville, they’ll need more than flashes. They’ll need a full 40-minute effort, toughness on the boards, and a game plan that keeps Haugh and company from taking over.
It’s a tall task. But in the SEC, that’s just another Saturday.