On Friday, Bruce Pearl agreed to a new eight-year, $50.2 million contract with Auburn that could keep him on the sideline until he's in his 70s. On Saturday, he guided the Tigers to their 17th consecutive victory. On Monday, he'll officially become the coach of a team ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press Top 25 poll for the second straight week.
So, obviously, things are going well.
And Tuesday should be wild.
That's when the Tigers are scheduled to host in-state rival Alabama inside a sold-out Auburn Arena, where standing-room only tickets were priced no lower than $188 each Monday morning on StubHub. On one hand, the challenge should be no problem considering Auburn will be at home and playing a team it's already beaten that's also lost this season to Georgia and Missouri, two schools with a combined SEC record of 3-12. But, on the other hand, Alabama is confusing and capable of beating literally anybody — evidence being that the Crimson Tide's 14-7 record includes victories over Gonzaga, Baylor, Houston, LSU, Tennessee, Florida and Miami.
Nobody has a weirder body of work.
The Crimson Tide have six Quadrant 1 wins and two Quadrant 3 losses. When they're good, they're really good. When they're bad, they're really bad. Through 21 games, Alabama looks like a team that could make the Final Four or lose in the first round of the NIT. Anything in between, or even outside of those parameters, appears also on the table.
Auburn is No. 1 in Monday morning's updated CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 daily college basketball rankings for the 20th consecutive day. Alabama is No. 26. The Tigers and Crimson Tide are scheduled to tip-off Tuesday at 9 p.m. ET.
Top 25 And 1 rankings
Rk | Teams | Chg | Rcrd | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Auburn is 11-1 in the first two quadrants and on a 17-game winning streak. The Tigers' next game is Tuesday against Alabama. | -- | 17-5 |
| 2 |  | Gonzaga has won 10 straight games since losing to Alabama. The Zags' next game is Thursday at San Diego. | -- | 19-4 |
| 3 |  | Kentucky is 6-4 in the first two quadrants with all four losses coming in Quadrant 1 games away from home. The Wildcats' next game is Wednesday against Vanderbilt. | -- | 15-7 |
| 4 |  | UCLA is 7-2 in the first two quadrants thanks to a six-game winning streak highlighted by a victory over Arizona. The Bruins' next game is Thursday against the Wildcats. | -- | 18-4 |
| 5 |  | Baylor is tied for the national lead with seven Quadrant 1 wins and is 10-3 in the first two quadrants. The Bears' next game is Monday against West Virginia. | -- | 16-6 |
| 6 |  | Arizona is 6-2 in the first two quadrants with the losses coming at Tennessee and at UCLA. The Wildcats' next game is Thursday against UCLA. | -- | 20-3 |
| 7 |  | Houston's 10-game winning streak features eight double-digit victories. The Cougars' next game is Wednesday against Tulane. | -- | 21-2 |
| 8 |  | Purdue is 7-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Villanova, Ohio State and Illinois. The Boilermakers' next game is Wednesday at Minnesota. | -- | 22-1 |
| 9 |  | Kansas is 10-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Michigan State and Texas Tech. The Jayhawks' next game is Tuesday at Iowa State. | -- | 18-4 |
| 10 |  | Wisconsin is 10-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Purdue, Houston, Ohio State and Marquette. The Badgers' next game is Wednesday at Illinois. | -- | 13-8 |
| 11 |  | Villanova is 9-1 in its past 10 games with the lone loss in that stretch coming to Marquette. The Wildcats' next game is a rematch against the Golden Eagles. | -- | 10-12 |
| 12 |  | Michigan State is 11-2 in its past 13 games with double-digit wins over Wisconsin and Michigan. The Spartans' next game is Tuesday at Maryland. | -- | 14-8 |
| 13 |  | Texas Tech is 7-5 in the first two quadrants with all five losses coming in Quadrant 1. The Red Raiders' next game is Tuesday against Texas. | -- | 12-10 |
| 14 |  | Duke is 6-3 in the first two quadrants with wins over Gonzaga and Kentucky and losses to Miami and Florida State. The Blue Devils' next game is Monday at Notre Dame. | -- | 16-6 |
| 15 |  | Providence's 5-1 Quadrant 1 record includes wins over Wisconsin, Texas Tech and Marquette. The Friars' next game is Tuesday at St. John's. | -- | 17-6 |
| 16 |  | Marquette is 8-7 in the first two quadrants and 7-1 in its past eight contests. The Golden Eagles' next game is Wednesday against Villanova. | -- | 18-5 |
| 17 |  | Ohio State is 5-5 in the first two quadrants with zero losses outside of Quadrant 1. The Buckeyes' next game is Thursday against Iowa. | -- | 11-11 |
| 18 |  | Xavier is 9-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Ohio State and Marquette. The Musketeers' next game is Saturday at Creighton. | -- | 18-5 |
| 19 |  | LSU is 8-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Kentucky and Tennessee and losses to Arkansas and TCU. The Tigers' next game is Tuesday against Ole Miss. | -- | 12-10 |
| 20 |  | UConn is 6-4 in the first two quadrants and the only team with a win over Auburn. The Huskies' next game is Tuesday against Creighton. | -- | 17-6 |
| 21 |  | Iowa State is 7-5 in the first two quadrants with wins over Texas Tech, Xavier and Texas. The Cyclones' next game is Tuesday against Kansas. | -- | 15-6 |
| 22 |  | Illinois is 7-5 in the first two quadrants with a win over Michigan State. The Illini's next game is Wednesday against Wisconsin. | -- | 16-6 |
| 23 |  | Texas is 7-4 in the first two quadrants with one additional loss to Kansas State coming in Quadrant 3. The Longhorns' next game is Tuesday at Texas Tech. | -- | 18-4 |
| 24 |  | Tennessee's 6-6 record in the first two quadrants includes zero losses outside of Quadrant 1. The Vols' next game is Tuesday against Texas A&M. | -- | 18-4 |
| 25 |  | Saint Mary's is 5-4 in the first two quadrants with zero losses outside of Quadrant 1. The Gaels' next game is Thursday at Portland. | -- | 20-4 |
| 26 |  | Alabama's résumé includes wins over Gonzaga, Baylor and Houston and losses to Memphis, Missouri and Georgia. The Crimson Tide's next game is Tuesday at Auburn. | -- | 19-3 |
