Auburn basketball escaped the first month of its schedule with a 6-2 record, which included wins over talented teams in Oregon and St. John's. The Tigers also went wall-to-wall with Houston before ultimately falling to the Cougars in Birmingham.
Auburn is set to play five games in December, the final month of play before SEC play begins on Jan. 3 at Georgia. The gauntlet begins Wednesday when Auburn hosts NC State as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge, and will feature a road game at Arizona and two neutral-site games with Chattanooga and Purdue. December's schedule wraps up on Dec. 29 at home against Queens University.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAuburn will face three teams ranked in the KenPom top 30, including two games against teams in the top 10 in Arizona (No. 8) and Purdue (No. 2), both away from Neville Arena. How do the Tigers stack up with these powers analytically? Here's where Auburn stands in the latest KenPom update as the calendar flips to December.
Overall ranking: No. 22
Auburn Tigers guard Tahaad Pettiford (0) goes up for a layup as Auburn Tigers take on Jackson State Tigers at Neville Arena in Auburn, Ala. on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. Auburn Tigers lead Jackson State Tigers 55-24 at halftime.Auburn enters the week ranked at No. 22, its highest ranking of the season so far. It is the second time that the Tigers have entered the top 25 in the KenPom rankings, and the first since Nov. 24, when Auburn faced Oregon in the Players' Era Festival in Las Vegas. Auburn has risen 12 spots in the KenPom since last Wednesday's Players' Era Festival finale against St. John's, but the win over the No. 18 Red Storm propelled the Tigers back into the top 25.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOffensive efficiency: No. 10
Nov 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Auburn Tigers guard Kevin Overton (1) dunks during the second half against the Oregon Ducks of a 2025 Players Era Festival group play game at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesAuburn holds the nation's No. 10 offense according to KenPom entering December, and is the third-most efficient team in the SEC behind Alabama and Vanderbilt. Auburn is projected to score 122.4 points per 100 possessions, and is one of 16 teams in the country with an efficiency score of 122 or higher.
The Tigers will have a chance to raise their stock in offensive efficiency this week, as they battle the No. 8 and No. 9 teams in the category in NC State and Arizona.
Defensive efficiency: No. 72
Nov 25, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Michigan Wolverines guard Roddy Gayle Jr. (11) drives to the basket against Auburn Tigers guard Keyshawn Hall (7) during the first half in a 2025 Players Era Festival group play game at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesThe Tigers are ranked No. 72 to start the week in defensive efficiency with a score of 101.6. Auburn will be challenged this week as it will battle two top-10 offenses in NC State and Arizona, one week after facing St. John's and Michigan, who rank No. 7 and No. 11 in offensive efficiency, respectively.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdjusted tempo: No. 196
Nov 19, 2025; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Filip Jovic (38) dunks the ball during the second half against the Jackson State Tigers at Neville Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-Imagn ImagesAccording to KenPom data, Auburn is projected to create 68.9 possessions per game, which ranks just inside the top-200. The Tigers will be challenged this week as NC State and Arizona both rank in the top 70 in terms of tempo. IU-Indianapolis is the fastest team in the country, boasting a 79.1 tempo rating, while Presbyterian is the slowest with 62.8 possessions per game.
Strength of schedule
Nov 24, 2025; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Auburn Tigers guard Elyjah Freeman (6) drives to the hoop during the second half against the Oregon Ducks of a 2025 Players Era Festival group play game at Michelob ULTRA Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn ImagesAuburn's opponents have an offensive efficiency score of 108.8, which ranks No. 124 in the country. Defensively, Auburn's opponents have a rating of 104.7, which ranks No. 72 nationally. Although the ratings may seem low, Auburn will be challenged over the next month as three of its next five opponents rank in the KenPom top 30.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNC State overview
Oct 8, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; NC State head coach Will Wade answers questions from the media at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn ImagesAuburn hosts NC State on Wednesday as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge. These two teams have recent Final Four experience, with the Wolfpack earning a spot in 2024 and Auburn making a trip in 2025. Here's a look at where the NC State Wolfpack, led by former LSU head coach Will Wade, ranks in the KenPom ahead of Wednesday's matchup.
Overall: No. 29
Adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 8 (122.6)
Adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 94 (103.0)
Adjusted tempo: No. 68 (71.4)
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn basketball KenPom ranking as calendar reaches December
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