Being the No. 1 team in the country is important to Bruce Pearl, but the veteran head coach knows holding that spot is just as difficult as getting there.

Auburn earned the honor of the top spot in the AP Top 25 on Monday, but the Tigers have little time to celebrate before a ranking matchup against No. 15 Mississippi State on Tuesday, a challenge they face without the All-American center Johni Broome have to face.

“Our guys understand that our focus right now is just playing great basketball,” Pearl said during his press conference Monday afternoon. “I’m trying to figure out, ‘How do we play without our best player?’ And the things we do. That’s really our focus.”

Without Broome, Pearl said Auburn probably isn’t the best team in the country right now, but believes the Tigers are most deserving of the No. 1 spot.

“I think it’s deserved considering the schedule we played and the teams we beat – the great teams we beat – and the job this team did,” said Pearl.

It is the second season in program history that Auburn has been ranked No. 1, the first coming in the 2021-2022 season. The Tigers held the spot for three weeks with a team that featured first-round talents like Jabari Smith and Walker Kessler.

Pearl said he felt at the time that his team was the best in the country, but that’s not the case right now. However, Pearl said he was even more deserving of the ranking now “because of what these guys did.”

Dylan Cardwell, one of two current Auburn players on the team in 2022, made it a point to ensure the No. 1 ranking doesn’t change the team’s mentality.

“It really doesn’t change who we are, it doesn’t change our lifestyle,” Cardwell said. “We have a lot of areas where we can improve: offensive rebounds, being more physical as a team… No. 1 is cool, but we can’t hang a banner for No. 1. That’s what I preach to these guys; I was number 1 before. It doesn’t really mean much, just a small number in our name.”

Chaney Johnson, a big man who will receive more attention than usual without Broome, was more thoughtful about the honor when asked Monday.

“I just give all the glory to God because without him I wouldn’t be here and we wouldn’t have the platform that we have today,” Johnson said. “I’m grateful to be part of a No. 1 team. I can tell my kids that I was part of Auburn’s top-ranked team in the country. Definitely a blessing.”

Johnson is the most likely candidate to move into the starting lineup in Broome’s absence, taking his place in the group of four.

Auburn’s defense of its No. 1 ranking begins Tuesday night with a game against No. 15 Mississippi State at Neville Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be streamed on SEC Network.

Peter Rauterkus reports on Auburn Sports AL.com. You can follow him on X below @peter_rauterkus or send him an email at [email protected]M