The No. 4 Auburn Tigers are set for a top-five showdown in their first game of the Maui Invitational as they start things off with fifth-ranked Iowa State on Monday.
“Iowa State is a great defensive team. Analytically, defensively they’re as good as anybody. They force turnovers. They've got two of the best defensive guards, I think, in the country in Keshon Gilbert and Tamin Lipsy,” said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. “I think they're the best defensive backcourt in the country, for sure.”
Led by All-American Johni Broome, who’s averaging 20 points per game, and four others scoring in double figures — Chaney Johnson, Denver Jones, Chad Baker-Mazara and Miles Kelly — the Tigers will counter the strong Cyclone defensive squad by bringing in one of the best scoring offenses in the country, as they are second in the country in offensive efficiency according to KenPom.
“I think we've shot it pretty well. I think we've been a pretty good inside-out team. You know, the high rate of assist-to-turnover rates have been… It speaks to our unselfishness.”
Defensively, the Tigers are yet to allow an opponent to score 70 points on them this year, which assists in them being No. 5 in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. However, the Cyclones come in averaging 84 points per game and are led by Curtis Jones with 15 points per game. The Cyclones have three other guards scoring in double figures, giving the Tigers’ backcourt a challenge to look forward to, one that they haven’t seen much of thus far.
“For us to be able to go to Maui and play the top teams three straight days in a row, win, lose or draw, I feel like that's something that is huge for me, said point guard JP Pegues. “It gives me a chance to show the world what I can bring, how I can help Auburn. And so I feel like, man, it's definitely the reason why I came here. It's everything that I hoped for.”
Along with a top-ranked Cyclone squad, the Tigers will hope to see three straight days of elite competition as Dayton and No. 10 North Carolina are on their side of the bracket and No. 2 Uconn a hopeful championship foe on the other side of the bracket.
“I'm kind of looking at it as one game at a time. Yes, we’ve got one game at a time, Pearl said. “And you know what would constitute a successful trip? Obviously, we'd love to play great basketball against the best teams in the country and see if you win a couple.”
Auburn will get to Maui with some added depth that it has been without since its trip to Houston. Freshman Jahki Howard and senior forward Ja’Heim Hudson will travel and be available for the Tigers in Maui – although Pearl noted they were available against North Alabama in which neither one saw the floor.
“They were dressed and available for the last game against North Alabama, and so they travel with us and they're available,” Pearl said.
Auburn’s first game of the Maui Invitational is set for an 8 p.m. CT tipoff and can be seen on ESPNU.
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