Auburn’s win over Southeastern Louisiana showcased team’s ‘tight-knit’ culture
One of the things that has defined the Auburn basketball program in the last 12 years since Bruce Pearl took over has been culture.
That culture has been creating a team with players that roll off one another seamlessly, pick each other up and get to a point where playing clean basketball is the standard.
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So after the first year of the Steven Pearl era went the way it did with all of the ups and downs combined with the amount of new players they had thrown together in a short period of time, there was some wonder about what the second season was going to feature.
On Wednesday night in Neville Arena, there was an answer to that question as the Tigers rolled to a 92-59 win over the Southeastern Louisiana Lions, beginning the season 1-0. It was a game that saw Auburn get on the ropes early, but ultimately find its groove to get moving and never look back.
The Tigers outscored the Lions 50-34 in the second half of play, an effort that was truly powered by the 3-pointers, which helped this game go off the rails late.
It allowed this bunch of players to have a lot of fun on the court, something that when looking at the bond of this team, is evidence that the work they did in the preseason off the court paid off.
“I think that just shows how much of a tight-knit group we are,” said Auburn forward Owen Freeman. “Out of all the teams I've been on, there hasn't been a team like this. We're always doing something with each other, we're always together. It's never cliques—the whole team is always doing something. It's really fun; it's a really exciting group to be a part of.”
The transfers on the team as a whole scored 55 points on the night, accounting for nearly 60% of the points scored by Auburn. Kolby King, a guard transfer from Utah State led that effort with 12 of his own.
Having been one of the late arrivals on campus, it was a unique adjustment for King to quickly learn who his teammates were and how he would bond with them. However, connections were made that told him he was in the right spot.
“The camaraderie of this team is great,” King said. “I came in late and I was nervous, thinking guys wouldn't like me. But they brought love and excitement when I first walked in the locker room. I just knew this team was going to be special.”
King situation has been unique compared to that of everybody else on the Tigers’ roster, as he was uncertain if he would even be able to play in the 2026-2027 season.
The guard transfer from Utah State was a part of an eligibility case out of the state of Ohio where players that were part of the high school class of 2022 were vying for the fact that they were unfairly treated in the NCAA’s new “five-in-five” rule.
King was granted the eligibility, but the offseason had been tough on him, and the mindset was not always on the game itself in the practices he had.
The guard gave credit to everybody with the program, as they helped him get through the mental blocks of all the outside noise and got him to where he needed to be for the season opener.
“It's been frustrating for me,” King said. “I've been fighting for my eligibility. It's been frustrating for me coming to practice every day, not knowing if I'm going to be able to play. Shoutout to the coaching staff, shoutout to the players. Kept talking to me and telling me everything was going to be alright. Kept trusting God, and last week, everything came to light, and I was able to play my first game. I think I did good, and all glory to God for that.”
The next game for Auburn is set for Monday, Nov. 10 when it takes on the Appalachian State Mountaineers back at Neville Arena, with the opening tip set for 8 p.m. CST.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
