Exclusive: Auburn set to defend home court vs. Rebels
With a 4-0 conference record so far, Auburn men’s basketball is riding a 10-game winning streak
When the Tigers host Ole Miss on Saturday night, they hope to build on their impressive conference play debut.
Auburn’s well-rounded attack, which allows anyone to be the difference maker on any given night, has contributed to the team’s explosive start to the season and conference play.
Ole Miss is also as hot as any other team in the nation going into their game on Saturday. This season, the Rebels have only dropped one game as of Wednesday morning.
The Rebels have played solid, fundamental basketball to earn one of the finest records in the nation thus far.
One of the top teams in the country at stopping opponents without drawing a foul and creating opportunities for attack without giving up the ball is Ole Miss.
Ole Miss leads the country in blocks with about seven per game, and they average nearly nine steals per game as well.
It should be a fascinating night to watch how the Tiger offense plays against the Rebel defense.
With only 10 turnovers in a game, Auburn maintains a low turnover rate. At 1.87, Auburn’s turnover-to-assist ratio is the fourth-best in the nation and the second-best in the SEC.
The guards Tre Donaldson and Aden Holloway must continue to distribute the ball carefully if Auburn is to defeat the Rebels. In order to capitalize on Ole Miss’s bench, which averages only roughly 14 points per game, Auburn will also need its bench, which scores 38 points per game on average.
Auburn might gain from the Rebels’ difficulties this season with their rebounding. Ole Miss ranks among the worst defensive rebounding teams in the SEC with a -2.2 rebound margin.
Every game, the Tigers get roughly 12 offensive rebounds on average. Even though Auburn’s offensive rebounding isn’t the best, they should have no trouble getting plenty of second-chance points against Ole Miss.
In terms of offense, the Rebels convert on open looks when they get them and hit intelligent three-pointers, shooting 40% of their shots from beyond the arc.
In addition to their excellent shooting, Ole Miss has the third-best assist-to-turnover ratio in the SEC with a ratio of 1.58.
Auburn’s defense has been sneakily solid this season, giving up about 66 points per game.
Now, the Tigers have kept two SEC opponents under 60 points; they have scored 51 against Arkansas and 55 against Texas A&M. This season, both the Aggies and the Razorbacks are averaging at least 74 points per game.
The defense of Auburn is known for its ability to create havoc; they block about six shots per game and restrict opponents to shooting less than 38 percent from the field. Auburn has the seventh-highest field goal percentage defense in college basketball and the best in the SEC.
In addition, the Tigers are stealing roughly eight items each game and limiting the opposition to less than 38% three-point shooting.
The Auburn bench is equally effective while playing defense as it is when playing offense. Experienced players such as Dylan Cardwell and Chad Baker-Mazara, who is a transfer, arrive prepared to obstruct shots, close down open players, grab defensive boards, and disrupt passing lanes.
Auburn should be able to handle the Rebels at home if the Tigers keep up their recent pattern of getting off to fast starts from the starting lineup on both sides of the ball and then having the bench step in and carry the momentum.
The Tigers and Rebels will tip off at Neville Arena on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The game will be covered by SEC Network.
