Observations: Auburn 71, Murray State 58

Bruce Pearl's Tigers wrapped up noncon play with one of their best victories so far — a total team effort against a perennial NCAAT squad.

PG Wendell Green Jr. (Jacob Taylor/Auburn Athletics)

A lot of words could accurately describe this Auburn basketball team. Yet one specific word serves as an important thread between all of them.

Unselfish.

It’s an unselfish team that can be defined by its defense. It’s an unselfish team that can be one of the most talented rosters ever assembled at Auburn yet still take tough coaching after a near-upset loss. It’s an unselfish team that can rely on its massive depth, knowing that even the brightest stars won’t play heavy minutes.

All of those attributes were on full display Wednesday night in Auburn’s 71-58 win over Murray State — the final game before SEC play begins next week. The Tigers didn’t light up the stat sheet, and there were just a couple of box score standouts. But they played exactly the kind of game they needed to dispatch the dangerous Racers.

“As long as the guys continue to not worry about their individual numbers and try to play productively and continue to try to shar…