Auburn University is poised for a significant milestone, as the Tigers are expected to claim the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press Top 25 rankings on Monday. However, their upcoming Tuesday night game against No. 14 Mississippi State presents a formidable challenge. Auburn will face the tenacious Bulldogs without their star forward/center Johni Broome, who is sidelined due to a severe ankle sprain. Johni Broome, a player of the year contender, sustained a significant ankle injury during Auburn’s nail-biting 66-63 win over South Carolina on Saturday. The team received confirmation via MRI on Sunday that surgery is not required. However, the timeline for Broome’s return remains uncertain. Broome’s contribution to Auburn’s success this season has been immense: Coach Bruce

No. 22 UCLA and Rutgers both aim to reverse their fortunes as the Bruins visit the Scarlet Knights on Monday in a pivotal Big Ten Conference clash at Piscataway, N.J. Both teams are enduring tough stretches and seeking to reestablish momentum. Rutgers (8-8, 1-4 Big Ten) concludes a three-game homestand on Monday, hoping to recover from consecutive losses to Wisconsin and Purdue. The Scarlet Knights are on a three-game losing streak, with scoring struggles largely tied to freshman standout Dylan Harper’s health issues. Harper, the team’s leading scorer at 20.1 points per game, missed the Jan. 2 loss at Indiana due to illness. He returned to action against Wisconsin and Purdue but was a non-factor, scoring just six total points

Boston College will look to add to Notre Dame’s woes when the two teams clash in an Atlantic Coast Conference matchup Monday night in South Bend, Ind. The Eagles (9-7, 1-4 ACC) are hoping to bounce back from recent struggles of their own while Notre Dame (7-9, 1-4) tries to snap a four-game losing streak. The Eagles have found little success in true road games this season, dropping both contests — a 72-66 loss at Wake Forest and an 85-64 defeat at Georgia Tech. In both games, Boston College failed to shoot better than 42.4 percent from the field, a trend that will need to change if they hope to secure a win at Notre Dame. Following their loss to

The Toronto Raptors, mired in a five-game losing streak, will try to turn things around when they host the Golden State Warriors on Monday night. Both teams are struggling, with the Raptors dropping 16 of their last 17 games and the Warriors dealing with key injuries. Toronto fell short in a 123-114 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, a game that was tied at 109-109 with just over five minutes left. The Raptors struggled to close out, allowing Detroit to shoot 52.4 percent from the field, including a scorching 57.6 percent from 3-point range (19-for-33). Head coach Darko Rajakovic emphasized the need for better execution.”We always say that this league is a make-or-miss league, and tonight they made more