LEXINGTON, Ky. – Juggling mixed emotions after advancing to the round of 32 with a 20-point win while acknowledging the need for improvement, No. 1 overall seed Auburn practiced for 90 minutes Friday at Rupp Arena on the eve of its March Madness matchup with Creighton.
“What we do does not work without tremendous effort and energy,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “On most nights Auburn is going to play harder than our opponent. Many people have said it. I insist upon it. But it doesn’t always happen.
“We tried to send a message to our guys yesterday. What we do is not going to work unless we put forth a different level. For example, in covering Creighton, they’re going to play five or six guys who are in the best shape of their lives, and they’re going to go forever. They play really, really hard. If we don’t match that, we’re not going to be successful.
“It wasn’t that we didn’t have effort and energy. We just didn’t have the kind of effort and energy that we are used to playing with and that we need to play with.”
“For me, it’s having a sense of urgency and not wanting our season to end, diving on the floor for loose balls, boxing out for rebounds,” Auburn center Dylan Cardwell said. “Making sure our effort and energy is up to par. Tomorrow will be a statement.”
Miles Kelly has already made multiple statements at Rupp Arena this month, sinking 16 3-pointers in two games at the cavernous venue, including an NCAA tournament program record-tying seven Thursday in Auburn’s 83-63 win over Alabama State.
“When he shoots it, I think it’s going in every single time,” Auburn guard Denver Jones said. “Having defenses respect him, it’s opened up a lot for everybody else. When he’s hot, he can do anything, and we can do anything.”
“He’s loving what he’s seeing,” Pearl said. “We will get Miles open, and he will bang shots.”
Runners-up in the Big East, Creighton features 7-1 senior center Ryan Kalkbrenner, who leads the Bluejays in scoring (19.2) and rebounding (8.7) while blocking 93 shots this season.
“He reminds me of Walker Kessler,” Cardwell said. “He’s a great player, a great defensive factor. I’m excited to be able to play against him.”
“We will be able to run our stuff,” Pearl said. “The question is are we going to execute it. One of the keys to playing Creighton is you’ve got to make open shots. If you take that thing too far close to the rim, you’re going to be met with something you’re not going to be very happy with.”
With Creighton sending Louisville and its sizable fan contingent home in the round of 64, the Tigers are inviting fans from near and far to trek to Rupp Arena to support Auburn in person in the second round.
“It goes back to witnessing Auburn history,” Cardwell said. “If you want to see this team make history, especially in March Madness, come on down tomorrow so we can feed off your energy.”
“I don’t want our fans to wait thinking that Atlanta is an automatic, because it’s not,” Pearl said. “Creighton is an outstanding team and there are tickets available, plus Auburn baseball is up here in Lexington, so you can get a two for one.”
One win away from advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2019, the top-seeded Tigers (29-5) take on ninth-seeded Creighton (25-10) Saturday at 6:10 p.m. CT on TBS and the Auburn Sports Network, where Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey will provide play-by-play and analysis.
“None of our guys have been past this moment right now,” Pearl said. “We have a huge obstacle in our way in Creighton. I was happy for the guys to get the one they got, and obviously we will be really happy for us if we can make it to Atlanta.”
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer
