Bruce Pearl and top-ranked Auburn are 2-0 without star forward Johni Broome, who hopes to make his return on Saturday night.

The Auburn Tigers needed a Johni Broome sized spark to get by the 6th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night

Bruce Pearl's Auburn Tigers grabbed a 66-63 win over South Carolina on Saturday, but victory came at a steep price.

Bruce Pearl is hopeful that Auburn forward Johni Broome will make his return for Saturday night's top-10 showdown against No. 6 Tennessee.

While all eyes will be on Galopin Des Champs in his bid for a third Irish Gold Cup at the weekend, one horse – Florida Pearl – stands out on his own, with an unparalleled four victories in the Leopardstown race that has had so many great winners down the years.

Credit for the recent renaissance of the Florida basketball program lies mostly on the shoulders of its current head coach, Todd Golden, who came to Gainesville three seasons ago to turn around a team that was mired in mediocrity.

Auburn's Bruce Pearl and Tennessee's Rick Barnes (Photo ... Auburn took over the No. 1 spot when Tennessee got shellacked at Florida on Jan. 7, but no team in college basketball has more wins ...

Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl provided the latest on Broome's injury. When asked about Broome's status, Pearl didn't rule him out.

On the court, Golden and the Gators are a national championship contender. They opened the season with 13 straight wins, then pummeled a then-undefeated and top-ranked Tennessee by 30 points in early January. They were ranked No. 21 in the preseason AP poll, but Golden supplemented five key returnees with Florida Atlantic transfer Alijah Martin.

The No. 1 Auburn Tigers host the No. 6 Tennessee Volunteers tonight. Here are three keys for the Tigers to prevail over the Vols.

ESPN's "College GameDay" is returning to the Plains for a fifth time this Saturday, ahead of a matchup with No. 6 Tennessee. Here's how Auburn basketball has fared with the show in town.