Auburn Set for Game Against Duke, Biggest Matchup in Recent Memory

The already highly-ranked Tigers have a shot to make another major statement with their game against Duke on Wednesday

The Auburn Tigers are set for a major matchup with Duke / Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers are hours away from arguably the biggest regular season matchup in the recent history of the program.

No. 2 Auburn takes on No. 9 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, N.C. tonight in its first true road test of the 2024-25 season. The Tigers have faced no shortage of talent throughout their first seven games, holding three wins over ranked opponents including two top-five victories.

Auburn comes into this game riding the wave of momentum it put together from winning the Maui Invitational for the first time in program history. Star big man Johni Broome has recorded five double-doubles in a row. 

Despite the early success they have had this season, Auburn remains focused on the task at hand and is treating this game the same as any other.

“It's every kid's dream to go and play in Cameron,” Auburn forward Chaney Johnson said. “So finally, to have the opportunity to go in there and win a big game, it's big for us. It's same mentality. Just go in there and win, make sure we do everything the scout tells us to do and the coaches tell us to do.”

Auburn has done everything possible to simulate the environment it will be walking into during its practices leading up to the game. While it is impossible to create a perfect replica, the Tigers are prepared to use alternative forms of communication in an attempt to minimize the effect of the crowd.

“This will be a game where we work with our crowd noise equipment here in Neville today, so the guys won't be able to hear me,” Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said on Monday. 

“That definitely will affect our playcalling, so the guys are going to have to be really sharp leaving the huddle, knowing what we like, knowing what the breakdowns are -- being effective with our hand signals and things like that to be able to communicate to the team. We will definitely work on that today in practice.”

One of the most interesting storylines heading into this game is how Auburn will handle Cooper Flagg, Duke’s star 6-foot-9 guard who is projected to be a top pick in the NBA Draft this summer. Flagg leads the Blue Devils in points, assists and rebounds per game, averaging 15.9, 8.3 and 4.1 respectively.