The No. 1 Auburn Tigers returned to Neville Arena on Wednesday and exited with a 67-60 win over Arkansas to improve its SEC record to 12-1 and 24-2 overall. However, the win was not easy to come by. The Tigers were limited to 40% field-goal shooting and 16% from three-point territory.

Auburn basketball head coach Bruce Pearl made a bold statement about his team after its home victory against SEC rival Arkansas

Calipari departed from Lexington for the job in Fayetteville after last season. His time at Kentucky has had him enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. Kentucky won the national championship in 2012.

Auburn (24-2, 12-1 SEC) defeated Arkansas (15-11, 4-9 SEC) 67-60 on Wednesday night in a matchup where the Tigers could never create much separation from the Razorbacks. Some of that can be attributed to Arkansas’ defensive effort on the night having forced 11 turnovers,

Turnovers typically aren’t a major issue for Auburn, coming into the night third in the country in fewest turnovers per game. While the 12 turnovers are only three more than Auburn’s per game average, it was a sign of an offense that rarely looked in sync for most of the game.

The Auburn Tigers didn't play their best game on Wednesday night against Arkansas, but they got the 67-60 win.

The No. 1 Auburn Tigers are coming off a massive road win over in-state rival and then-No. 2-ranked Alabama last Saturday. However, head coach Bruce Pearl wants the team to now stay focused as it is set to welcome in a sneaky yet desperate Arkansas team Wednesday.