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

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

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.

The No. 7 Vols (17-2) face the No. 1 Tigers (17-1) and coach Bruce Pearl, who coached Tennessee from 2005-11. Pearl, of course, has turned around the Auburn basketball program since taking over in 2014.

6 Tennessee basketball plays at No. 1 Auburn this Saturday in an epic matchup down on The Plains with former head coach Bruce Pearl ... "Well, Florida is one of the best rebounding teams in ...

Auburn has bolted out to a 17-1 start that includes a 5-0 Southeastern Conference record in Bruce Pearl's 11th season on the Plains. The two most recent Auburn victories transpired without Johni Broome, the 6-foot-10, 240-pound center/forward who is averaging 17.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 2.7 blocked shots per game.

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.