Basketball News: 2-12-2026
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Dudley Dent
Feb 12, 2026, 8:00:16 AM (2 days ago) Feb 12
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Auburn Basketball News: 2-12-2026
Auburn basketball faces reality check as three-game skid threatens NCAA tournament hopes:
https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/2026/02/auburn-basketball-faces-reality-check-as-three-game-skid-threatens-ncaa-tournament-hopes.html
Emotions hurting Auburn with run of technical, flagrant fouls:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/auburn-basketball-vanderbilt-technical-foul-steven-pearl-keyshawn-hall-273961581/
Where Auburn basketball ranks in KenPom after recent loss to Vanderbilt:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/mens-basketball/2026/02/11/auburn-basketball-kenpom-ranking-vanderbilt-home-2026/88625637007/
Bruce Pearl calls Nate Oats’ decision to play Charles Bediako ‘selfish’ and ‘wrong’:
https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/2026/02/bruce-pearl-calls-nate-oats-decision-to-play-charles-bediako-selfish-and-wrong.html
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Auburn basketball faces reality check as three-game skid threatens NCAA tournament hopes
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn basketball‘s four-game SEC win streak has completely reversed into a three-game losing streak, as the Tigers dropped games to Tennessee, Alabama and now Vanderbilt.
In Tuesday’s 84-76 loss to Vanderbilt, Auburn allowed eight 3-pointers and two 20-point scorers from Tyler Tanner and Jalen Washington.
Tahaad Pettiford scored over 20 points for the second straight game for the Tigers. However, Auburn coach Steven Pearl took responsibility for the Tigers’ defensive struggles after the game.
“Yeah, we just got to stay consistent. Like, I know people are going to be panicking right now. But, if you look going into this game, based on our adjusted efficiency, we’ve been the second-best team in our conference going into this game. So, while the results haven’t been there, this team has continued to get better,” Pearl said postgame. “We got to just trust what we’re doing, but we also got to tweak some of the things that we’re doing defensively, to try and be a little more aggressive in some of the things that we’re doing to give us an opportunity to make plays and not let teams be more comfortable in what they’re doing.”
https://twitter.com/i/status/2021421047640436894
“We’ve shown that we’ve been able to win some games with our defense this year when our offense wasn’t going. We didn’t do that [Tuesday],” Pearl added. “We shot 32% in the first half, and they shot 57%. So, they did a really good job of executing in the first half and our defense just wasn’t as good as what it was in the last 10 minutes. So, I got to do a better job getting these guys prepared and I got to do a better job of making adjustments in-game to give us a better chance to win these ones."
This was Auburn’s first three-game losing streak since the 2022-2023 season. It was also the first time since 2017 the Tigers have loss back-to-back home games inside a sold-out Neville Arena.
Auburn’s next two games will be at Arkansas and Mississippi State before returning to Neville Arena for the AUTLIVE Cancer game Saturday, Feb. 21 vs. Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. CT
“We’ve got to get ready for Arkansas, and we’ve got to find a way to have a great practice on Thursday. But protecting home court is really important. It’s disappointing because we had two teams that were really good, that had good analytics, that could have really helped our résumé and we lost to both,” Pearl added. “So, missed opportunities there, but we’ve got to find a way to steal a couple on the road, and then try and protect home court later in the season. But the only way we’re going to be able to do that is if we refocus and come back ready to go on Thursday.”
Auburn currently sits at 14-10 overall and 5-6 in SEC play.
The Tigers are now 4-9 in Quad I games and still have a chance to be a possible No. 8-9 seed in the NCAA tournament. Auburn just can’t afford anymore Quad II-IIII losses the remainder of the year.
***************************
Emotions hurting Auburn with run of technical, flagrant fouls
By William Halliday
While there wasn't one particular thing that contributed to the Tigers loss to the Commodores on Tuesday night, it was apparent that their emotions during frustrating periods of the game got the better of them.
Many of those moments led to interactions with the officials that head coach Steven Pearl wishes he had back. The Tigers have given their opponents five free opportunities at the foul line over the past two games: two technicals Tuesday, plus a flagrant foul on Filip Jovic, and two flagrants against Alabama.
"The lack of us getting to the foul line (in the first half) led to some frustration, and it kind of carried over," Pearl said after Tuesday's loss. "We've got to do a better job controlling our emotions and not interacting with the officials as much — because they have a tough job."
Pearl, however, disagreed with his technical foul late in the game. That call was a technical foul given to him after he said some words to the referee after a 3-point shot that put Vanderbilt up by nine with under two minutes left. Pearl was displeased with a call, and there was a clear disagreement between him and head official Pat Adams on what it was Pearl said to warrant the tech.
"I said, 'That was a big call,'" Pearl said. "And he T'd me up and he said I cussed at him. I was mic'd up tonight, so maybe I gotta check the feed. I asked my bench, did I cuss at him? And they said no. So really disappointed."
Regardless of whether the call was correct, Pearl acknowledged that the sequence had a major impact on the game's outcome.
"It went for a 6-point game, and then I think they got a stop and came down and scored again," Pearl said. "So it just felt like a big shift in momentum on a call that I didn't think needed to happen. Those guys have a really difficult job. There was a lot of contact in that game. And, disappointed though, because I got a lot of respect for those guys and I would never berate them or curse at them like that. So yeah, didn't think I earned that one."
Auburn's Keyshawn Hall was also assessed a technical foul in the second half while arguing for a call. A couple minutes later, when Hall went to the bench, Pearl did not bring him back into the game.
Auburn will play Arkansas this Saturday in Fayetteville at 7:30 p.m. CST.
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Where Auburn basketball ranks in KenPom after recent loss to Vanderbilt
By Jac Myrick
Auburn Wire
Auburn Tigers basketball drops another home game to the No.19 Vanderbilt Commodores, 84-76. The Tigers are now on a three-game losing streak, sliding further down in the SEC with a 5-6 record in conference play. Overall, Auburn's record sits at 14-10, just four games above 500.
A sluggish defensive half of play to start the game for Auburn led to a 11 point deficit heading into halftime. The defense of the Tigers could not find an answer to stop the duo of Tyler Tanner and Jalen Washington. They both combined for 47 points of the Commodores' 84.
Offensively, Auburn did not have the play of its main scorer, Keyshawn Hall. Coach Steven Pearl made the decision to pull Hall after shooting 3-of-13 and picking up a technical foul. He only played 26 minutes of the game.
Tahaad Pettiford put together a 21-point game and managed to get the Tigers in reach late in the game, but it just was not enough as Vanderbilt could not be denied scoring.
So where does Auburn basketball currently sit in KenPom's latest statistical rankings? Here is a look at the Tigers according to KenPom's major statistical categories.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
Overall: No 31
After this loss, the Tigers fall just one spot in the overall rankings. KenPom ranks Auburn No. 31, putting them sixth in the conference.
Offensive efficiency: No. 11
With the increase in production in Pettiford's shooting, the Tigers' offensive efficiency score rose to No. 11 in KenPom with a score of 125.4.
Defensive efficiency: No. 82
Defense has been slipping after it had been moving up the past month. Auburn now sits at No. 82 with a KenPom defensive efficiency score of 103.9.
Adjusted tempo: No. 191
The Tigers' average possession length is 17.2 on offense and 17.3 on defense. Auburn continues to be around the national average of 67.3.
Strength of schedule: No. 2
Auburn is No. 2 in strength of schedule according to KenPom; the Tigers continue to have a pretty tough slate of games ahead of them in conference.
Arkansas overview
Saturday, Feb. 14, the Tigers pack up and head to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. Where does Arkansas rank in KenPom? Here is a look at the Razorbacks, according to KenPom statistics.
Overall: No. 16
Adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 6 (125.9)
Adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 42 (100.3)
Adjusted tempo: No. 26 (71.0)
Strength of schedule: No. 13 (+12.31)
Projected winner of the game: Arkansas (72%)
Implied score: Arkansas 87, Auburn 80
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Bruce Pearl calls Nate Oats’ decision to play Charles Bediako ‘selfish’ and ‘wrong’
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
Alabama center Charles Bediako is no longer able to play this season after Tuscaloosa judge Daniel Pruet denied his request for a preliminary injunction, but conversations around his situation haven’t gone away.
When speaking to reporters after the ruling, Alabama head coach Nate Oats said he would’ve brought Bediako back “100 times out of 100,” after Bediako played in five games for the Crimson Tide.
“There was an opportunity to help one of our former players out,” Oats said on Tuesday. “He was within his five-year window and he was trying to get his degree...
“My job as head coach is to do the right thing by our guys. Charles is one of our guys, and that was the right thing to do by one of our guys.”
Former Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl disagreed when speaking on TNT’s studio show on Tuesday. Pearl, who stepped down from his job at Auburn in September, called the decision to bring back Bediako “selfish” and wrong."
“Nate said he’d play (Bediako) 100 times again, what that tells me is Nate doesn’t really care about the SEC, he doesn’t care about the NCAA,” Pearl said. “And it’s fine, you’re going to care about your student-athletes, that’s fine.
“But you’re a member of this conference, and you’re a member of the NCAA. What about the rest of the teams, what about the rest of the players? Why should those five teams have to play against an ineligible player?”
Alabama went 3-2 during the stretch with Bediako playing, including win against Auburn and Texas A&M last week.
CBS Sports reported earlier this week that Alabama will be evaluated by the NCAA Tournament selection committee, “by the roster that it has available for March Madness.”
While Alabama scored impressive wins over Auburn and Texas A&M with Bediako, it also lost games to Tennessee and Florida.
Auburn basketball faces reality check as three-game skid threatens NCAA tournament hopes:
https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/2026/02/auburn-basketball-faces-reality-check-as-three-game-skid-threatens-ncaa-tournament-hopes.html
Emotions hurting Auburn with run of technical, flagrant fouls:
https://247sports.com/college/auburn/article/auburn-basketball-vanderbilt-technical-foul-steven-pearl-keyshawn-hall-273961581/
Where Auburn basketball ranks in KenPom after recent loss to Vanderbilt:
https://auburnwire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/auburn/mens-basketball/2026/02/11/auburn-basketball-kenpom-ranking-vanderbilt-home-2026/88625637007/
Bruce Pearl calls Nate Oats’ decision to play Charles Bediako ‘selfish’ and ‘wrong’:
https://www.al.com/auburnbasketball/2026/02/bruce-pearl-calls-nate-oats-decision-to-play-charles-bediako-selfish-and-wrong.html
***************************
Auburn basketball faces reality check as three-game skid threatens NCAA tournament hopes
By Jerry Humphrey III
al.com
Auburn basketball‘s four-game SEC win streak has completely reversed into a three-game losing streak, as the Tigers dropped games to Tennessee, Alabama and now Vanderbilt.
In Tuesday’s 84-76 loss to Vanderbilt, Auburn allowed eight 3-pointers and two 20-point scorers from Tyler Tanner and Jalen Washington.
Tahaad Pettiford scored over 20 points for the second straight game for the Tigers. However, Auburn coach Steven Pearl took responsibility for the Tigers’ defensive struggles after the game.
“Yeah, we just got to stay consistent. Like, I know people are going to be panicking right now. But, if you look going into this game, based on our adjusted efficiency, we’ve been the second-best team in our conference going into this game. So, while the results haven’t been there, this team has continued to get better,” Pearl said postgame. “We got to just trust what we’re doing, but we also got to tweak some of the things that we’re doing defensively, to try and be a little more aggressive in some of the things that we’re doing to give us an opportunity to make plays and not let teams be more comfortable in what they’re doing.”
https://twitter.com/i/status/2021421047640436894
“We’ve shown that we’ve been able to win some games with our defense this year when our offense wasn’t going. We didn’t do that [Tuesday],” Pearl added. “We shot 32% in the first half, and they shot 57%. So, they did a really good job of executing in the first half and our defense just wasn’t as good as what it was in the last 10 minutes. So, I got to do a better job getting these guys prepared and I got to do a better job of making adjustments in-game to give us a better chance to win these ones."
This was Auburn’s first three-game losing streak since the 2022-2023 season. It was also the first time since 2017 the Tigers have loss back-to-back home games inside a sold-out Neville Arena.
Auburn’s next two games will be at Arkansas and Mississippi State before returning to Neville Arena for the AUTLIVE Cancer game Saturday, Feb. 21 vs. Kentucky at 7:30 p.m. CT
“We’ve got to get ready for Arkansas, and we’ve got to find a way to have a great practice on Thursday. But protecting home court is really important. It’s disappointing because we had two teams that were really good, that had good analytics, that could have really helped our résumé and we lost to both,” Pearl added. “So, missed opportunities there, but we’ve got to find a way to steal a couple on the road, and then try and protect home court later in the season. But the only way we’re going to be able to do that is if we refocus and come back ready to go on Thursday.”
Auburn currently sits at 14-10 overall and 5-6 in SEC play.
The Tigers are now 4-9 in Quad I games and still have a chance to be a possible No. 8-9 seed in the NCAA tournament. Auburn just can’t afford anymore Quad II-IIII losses the remainder of the year.
***************************
Emotions hurting Auburn with run of technical, flagrant fouls
By William Halliday
While there wasn't one particular thing that contributed to the Tigers loss to the Commodores on Tuesday night, it was apparent that their emotions during frustrating periods of the game got the better of them.
Many of those moments led to interactions with the officials that head coach Steven Pearl wishes he had back. The Tigers have given their opponents five free opportunities at the foul line over the past two games: two technicals Tuesday, plus a flagrant foul on Filip Jovic, and two flagrants against Alabama.
"The lack of us getting to the foul line (in the first half) led to some frustration, and it kind of carried over," Pearl said after Tuesday's loss. "We've got to do a better job controlling our emotions and not interacting with the officials as much — because they have a tough job."
Pearl, however, disagreed with his technical foul late in the game. That call was a technical foul given to him after he said some words to the referee after a 3-point shot that put Vanderbilt up by nine with under two minutes left. Pearl was displeased with a call, and there was a clear disagreement between him and head official Pat Adams on what it was Pearl said to warrant the tech.
"I said, 'That was a big call,'" Pearl said. "And he T'd me up and he said I cussed at him. I was mic'd up tonight, so maybe I gotta check the feed. I asked my bench, did I cuss at him? And they said no. So really disappointed."
Regardless of whether the call was correct, Pearl acknowledged that the sequence had a major impact on the game's outcome.
"It went for a 6-point game, and then I think they got a stop and came down and scored again," Pearl said. "So it just felt like a big shift in momentum on a call that I didn't think needed to happen. Those guys have a really difficult job. There was a lot of contact in that game. And, disappointed though, because I got a lot of respect for those guys and I would never berate them or curse at them like that. So yeah, didn't think I earned that one."
Auburn's Keyshawn Hall was also assessed a technical foul in the second half while arguing for a call. A couple minutes later, when Hall went to the bench, Pearl did not bring him back into the game.
Auburn will play Arkansas this Saturday in Fayetteville at 7:30 p.m. CST.
****************************
Where Auburn basketball ranks in KenPom after recent loss to Vanderbilt
By Jac Myrick
Auburn Wire
Auburn Tigers basketball drops another home game to the No.19 Vanderbilt Commodores, 84-76. The Tigers are now on a three-game losing streak, sliding further down in the SEC with a 5-6 record in conference play. Overall, Auburn's record sits at 14-10, just four games above 500.
A sluggish defensive half of play to start the game for Auburn led to a 11 point deficit heading into halftime. The defense of the Tigers could not find an answer to stop the duo of Tyler Tanner and Jalen Washington. They both combined for 47 points of the Commodores' 84.
Offensively, Auburn did not have the play of its main scorer, Keyshawn Hall. Coach Steven Pearl made the decision to pull Hall after shooting 3-of-13 and picking up a technical foul. He only played 26 minutes of the game.
Tahaad Pettiford put together a 21-point game and managed to get the Tigers in reach late in the game, but it just was not enough as Vanderbilt could not be denied scoring.
So where does Auburn basketball currently sit in KenPom's latest statistical rankings? Here is a look at the Tigers according to KenPom's major statistical categories.
Need a news break? Check out the all new PLAY hub with puzzles, games and more!
Overall: No 31
After this loss, the Tigers fall just one spot in the overall rankings. KenPom ranks Auburn No. 31, putting them sixth in the conference.
Offensive efficiency: No. 11
With the increase in production in Pettiford's shooting, the Tigers' offensive efficiency score rose to No. 11 in KenPom with a score of 125.4.
Defensive efficiency: No. 82
Defense has been slipping after it had been moving up the past month. Auburn now sits at No. 82 with a KenPom defensive efficiency score of 103.9.
Adjusted tempo: No. 191
The Tigers' average possession length is 17.2 on offense and 17.3 on defense. Auburn continues to be around the national average of 67.3.
Strength of schedule: No. 2
Auburn is No. 2 in strength of schedule according to KenPom; the Tigers continue to have a pretty tough slate of games ahead of them in conference.
Arkansas overview
Saturday, Feb. 14, the Tigers pack up and head to take on the Arkansas Razorbacks. Where does Arkansas rank in KenPom? Here is a look at the Razorbacks, according to KenPom statistics.
Overall: No. 16
Adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 6 (125.9)
Adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 42 (100.3)
Adjusted tempo: No. 26 (71.0)
Strength of schedule: No. 13 (+12.31)
Projected winner of the game: Arkansas (72%)
Implied score: Arkansas 87, Auburn 80
***************************
Bruce Pearl calls Nate Oats’ decision to play Charles Bediako ‘selfish’ and ‘wrong’
By Peter Rauterkus
al.com
Alabama center Charles Bediako is no longer able to play this season after Tuscaloosa judge Daniel Pruet denied his request for a preliminary injunction, but conversations around his situation haven’t gone away.
When speaking to reporters after the ruling, Alabama head coach Nate Oats said he would’ve brought Bediako back “100 times out of 100,” after Bediako played in five games for the Crimson Tide.
“There was an opportunity to help one of our former players out,” Oats said on Tuesday. “He was within his five-year window and he was trying to get his degree...
“My job as head coach is to do the right thing by our guys. Charles is one of our guys, and that was the right thing to do by one of our guys.”
Former Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl disagreed when speaking on TNT’s studio show on Tuesday. Pearl, who stepped down from his job at Auburn in September, called the decision to bring back Bediako “selfish” and wrong."
“Nate said he’d play (Bediako) 100 times again, what that tells me is Nate doesn’t really care about the SEC, he doesn’t care about the NCAA,” Pearl said. “And it’s fine, you’re going to care about your student-athletes, that’s fine.
“But you’re a member of this conference, and you’re a member of the NCAA. What about the rest of the teams, what about the rest of the players? Why should those five teams have to play against an ineligible player?”
Alabama went 3-2 during the stretch with Bediako playing, including win against Auburn and Texas A&M last week.
CBS Sports reported earlier this week that Alabama will be evaluated by the NCAA Tournament selection committee, “by the roster that it has available for March Madness.”
While Alabama scored impressive wins over Auburn and Texas A&M with Bediako, it also lost games to Tennessee and Florida.
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