Good Morning, Auburn Family. Ready to thrive in ’25, No. 2 Auburn ended the first half with 18 straight points and blasted Monmouth 87-58 Monday at Neville Arena in the finale of what coach Bruce Pearl called “the toughest non-conference schedule in the history of Auburn basketball.”

Auburn (12-1) tips off SEC play against Missouri Saturday at Neville Arena at 3 p.m. CT. 

“There’s maybe never been a league like this,” Pearl said of conference play. “The strong literally are going to be the only ones who are going to survive.”

☕️ We hope you enjoy this holiday mini-Brew. We’ll be back tomorrow with your venti-sized, piping-hot goodness! ☕️

What else do we have mixed into the Brew for your today? Check it out below!

🏀 WBB begins SEC play tonight against Ole Miss
🏈 Marcus McNeill was honored at SEC Legends Celebration
🐅 And much, much more!

🔼 SEC-Ya Tonight. A new year and a new phase of the women’s basketball season begins tonight as Southeastern Conference play kicks off at Neville Arena with Auburn hosting No. 25 Ole Miss. Game time is 6 p.m. CT. A dub would give Auburn a second straight home win over Ole Miss.

Graduate student DeYona Gaston is the nation’s sixth-leading scorer. She leads the Tigers with 22.7 points and 9.1 rebounds per game, ranking in the SEC’s top 10 in both categories.

Get the full rundown, including the Rebels’ scouting report.

🔼 Head and Shoulders Above the Rest. Auburn’s 2024 SEC football legend, Marcus McNeill, was honored in Atlanta Dec. 6-7 at the annual SEC Legends Celebration at the College Football Hall of Fame and the SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

A two-time All-American offensive tackle from 2002-05, McNeill earned All-America honors in 2004 and 2005, becoming the first Tiger since Ed King to earn the prestigious honors in consecutive years.

Read the feature on McNeill for more on his 2004 undefeated season with the Tigers, what his kids think of his accolades and how Auburn prepared him for the NFL and beyond.

🔼 Bigger Than Basketball. Auburn’s MBB team is making a strong case for them being best team in college basketball this season.

But sometimes it’s bigger than basketball. 

After the dub over Purdue on Dec. 21, Dylan Cardwell carried 10-year-old Hayes Hunter into the locker room to celebrate with the team. Hayes, who sat behind the Auburn bench with his parents, helped break down the team huddle. 

Six months earlier, Hayes was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. He’s in remission now, but it has been a difficult journey for Hayes and his family to say the least. 

Read the feature on Hayes for more on his brother Harrison (an Auburn freshman) becoming the bone marrow donor, going into remission and the role of Bruce Pearl’s organization, AUTLIVE, in Hayes’ recovery.

Tiger fans know that everyone needs a timeout every now and then–so why not take yours at The Beach?! Myrtle Beach is home to 60 miles of warm, sandy beaches, over 2,000 restaurants and much more. Enter now for your chance to win your very own Beach Break Getaway, compliments of Visit Myrtle Beach—because you can’t beat The Beach!

🐅 ONE BIG THING

2024 Was the Ultimate Mic Drop. All signs point to 2025 being even better.

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📅 ON THE DOCKET

Thursday, Jan. 2
🏀 Women’s Basketball vs. Ole Miss @ 6 p.m. CT SEC ESPN+ Preview | Buy Tickets | Auburn Notes | Live Stats | ESPN 106.7 FM

Friday, Jan. 3
(No Activities Scheduled)

Saturday, Jan. 4
🏀 Men’s Basketball vs. Missouri - Holiday Bleacher Game @ 3 p.m. CT SEC ESPN+ SEATGEEK | Live Stats
🤸🏽 Gymnastics vs. BYU - American Gold Collegiate Championship in Nashville @ 5:30 p.m. CT | Tickets
🤸🏽 Gymnastics vs. Nebraska - American Gold Collegiate Championship in Nashville @ 5:30 p.m. CT | Tickets
🤸🏽 Gymnastics vs. Oklahoma - American Gold Collegiate Championship in Nashville @ 5:30 p.m. CT | Tickets

Sunday, Jan. 5
🏀 Women’s Basketball @ LSU @ 3 p.m. CT SEC ESPN+ Live Stats

🐅 Go here to view the entire Auburn Athletics Calendar

🐅 Let’s get 2025 going, y’all! 🎄