Can Auburn basketball improve in this area against Appalachian State?

Auburn BasketballAUBURN, AL - NOVEMBER 04 - Auburn's Owen Freeman (8) during the game between the Auburn Tigers and the Southeastern Louisiana Lions at Neville Arena in Auburn, AL on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026. Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn TigersZach Bland/Auburn TigersBy Peter Rauterkus | prauterkus@al.comThere was little to criticize about Auburn basketball’s performance on Wednesday night.The Tigers dominated an overmatched Southeastern Louisiana team 92-59. It was a far cry from the stress of last season’s season-opening overtime victory over Bethune Cookman.If there was one area that frustrated second-year Auburn coach Steven Pearl on Wednesday, though, it was the glass. More specifically, Auburn’s defensive rebounding numbers got under Pearl’s skin.Auburn grabbed 17 offensive rebounds in that game, dominating with its size in the paint. The Tigers gave up 18 offensive rebounds, though.“What I’m more upset about is that they got 18 offensive rebounds,” Pearl said on Wednesday in response to a question about his team’s offensive rebounds. “That’s an area that we gotta do a better job of. We talked about that being a strength of theirs.”After watching and analyzing the film, Pearl said on Friday that offensive rebounds Auburn gave up came down to a combination of things.Sometimes it came down to airballs or awkward bounces. Other times Pearl said players didn’t hold their checkouts or were positioned poorly.“For us, just being a little more disciplined on holding our checkouts, and then two, if your man’s not crashing the glass, we call it, ‘extend your umbrella,’ right? So, widen out and be able to tackle those 50-50 ball,” Pearl said. “I think it’s just somethings that we gotta clean up in practice with some of the drill work that we do.”Auburn will face another challenge on the boards when it faces Appalachian State on Monday.The Mountaineers are 2-0 and rank 17th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage, according to KenPom. They haven’t played a team with Auburn’s size or athleticism yet, but they still present a challenge for the Tigers.“Gotta have violent, physical checkouts every single possession and possess everything with two hands,” Pearl said. “It’s not going to look like a mid-major team out there. They have real size, they have real athletes.”The Appalachian State matchup is Auburn’s final game before things get real for the Tigers in the regular season. A disciplined, physical showing on the boards would be a positive sign before Auburn plays Arizona, a team that can match its size and physicality, later in the week.Peter Rauterkus is an Auburn Sports Reporter for AL.com covering football, basketball and all things Auburn sports. He joined AL.com in July 2024. Prior to joining the sports staff at AL.com, Peter spent time...