Projection and game notes: No. 4 Auburn vs. No. 5 Iowa State

AUBURN -- Auburn basketball's next big test of many this season has arrived. The Tigers arrived in Maui on Thursday evening and are set to face-off against highly-ranked Iowa State on Monday night. The game will tip-off at 8 pm CT on ESPNU. This is the 41st year of the tournament since it began in 1984. Only two SEC teams have won it in the past – Vanderbilt in 1986 and Kentucky in 1993. Auburn is looking to win its fourth pre-conference tournament in the last six seasons under head coach Bruce Pearl after winning both the 2019 and 2023 editions of the Legends Classic in Brooklyn, N.Y., and 2022 Cancun Challenge (Riviera Division) in Cancun, Mexico.