Wendell Green Jr. didn’t mince his words ahead of the SEC Tournament.

Auburn’s second-team All-SEC point guard isn’t fond of his team’s opening opponent this week in Nashville, Tenn. — Arkansas. It’s a disdain that stems from a budding rivalry between the Tigers and the Razorbacks, particularly their two most recent matchups the last two seasons.

“We don’t like Arkansas,” Green said Tuesday. “So, it’s a lot of intensity between us and Arkansas, so going into it we know that.”

Read more Auburn basketball: Auburn knows opportunity awaits in SEC Tournament, but Tigers aren’t overlooking Arkansas

Where Bruce Pearl’s salary ranks nationally, in the SEC for 2022-23 season

Can Auburn improve its NCAA Tournament seeding in the SEC Tournament? Here’s the latest projections

Seventh-seeded Auburn (20-11) and 10th-seeded Arkansas (19-12) will meet Thursday at 6 p.m. in the second round of the SEC Tournament, but before the two teams square off in Bridgestone Arena, it’s difficult not to think about how these two programs have established a growing rivalry on the court the last few years since Eric Musselman took over in Fayetteville, Ark.

The two teams have played five times since Musselman was hired before the 2019-20 season, with the Razorbacks holding a 3-2 edge against Bruce Pearl’s program during that stretch. Auburn narrowly won the first meeting in overtime back in 2020 before Arkansas rattled off three consecutive wins, including a two-point victory in 2021 and a thrilling overtime win last year at Bud Walton Arena.

It’s that overtime thriller that still sticks with Green, who was in his first year with Auburn after transferring from Eastern Kentucky. Auburn entered that game in Fayetteville as the nation’s No. 1 team and riding a 19-game overall win streak. The Tigers were greeted by throngs of haranguing Razorbacks fans as they got off their bus at Bud Walton Arena, and then the two teams produced a classic on the court—one that ended with Auburn on the losing end, 80-76, in overtime.

Green put the Tigers in front by two with 42 seconds to play in regulation before the Razorbacks tied it back up with 23 ticks remaining. Green then pulled up from 3 in the closing seconds, attempting to deliver a walk-off winner on the road, but he couldn’t connect, and the game went to overtime.

RELATED: A look at Auburn’s SEC Tournament draw and path to a potential title

In the extra period, Arkansas pulled in front. Green missed a 3-pointer with seconds left that would have gotten Auburn to within one, and then Davonte Davis took an outlet pass and tried to throw down an emphatic dunk as time expired to put an exclamation mark on the upset for Arkansas. Green raced downcourt to try to prevent the easy basket, even with the game all but over, and he was clipped by Davis as the Arkansas player swung from the rim.

The dunk didn’t count; it came after the final buzzer, as the arena lights cut off and pyrotechnics set off simultaneously. Green looked ready to confront Davis after the play, but Arkansas fans stormed the court and prevented anything from happening, as Auburn tried to quickly get back to the locker room to avoid the masses after being unseated as the nation’s top-ranked team.

“If it is a rivalry, it is because we played them and they have beaten us and lost some close games,” Pearl said. “We lost the No. 1 ranking and almost got killed in a court-storm. I almost got — but I am already half crippled so what is the next step? I might just start limping all of the time.”

While Pearl tried to downplay the budding rivalry, Green certainly did not.

“Just their fans, you know, they probably hate me more than Bama fans, you know?” Green said. “Their fans (are) crazy, and then, just only playing them one time last year, that kind of sucked to me, because I didn’t get a chance to play them again. So, playing them this year, just one time so far, I was thinking about that the whole time. I couldn’t wait to play that game.”

RELATED: Dylan Cardwell (ankle) returns to practice for Auburn ahead of SEC Tournament

Auburn got a form of payback in its Jan. 7 meeting with Arkansas at Neville Arena, even if the Razorbacks were shorthanded while playing without star freshman Nick Smith. The Tigers built an 11-point halftime lead and never let up, winning by 13 on their home floor for what was — until Saturday’s game against Tennessee — their biggest resume-building win of the season. Green finished with a team-high 19 points that game while dishing out five assists and notching three steals.

Now Arkansas will be the team seeking revenge when the teams meet Thursday at 6 p.m. in the SEC Tournament. It’s a different Razorbacks team than the one that traveled to the Plains two months ago. Arkansas is healthier; Nick Smith is back, and the team is shooting much better than it was at the time, when Auburn was comfortable sitting back in a zone defense for much of the game and not worrying too much about Arkansas knocking down shots from outside.

“We just got to come ready,” Green said. “We beat them this year. Played them one time, so we know they’re trying to get that get-back on us. It’s going to be a lot going into that game. We just want to try to find a way to win.”

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.