The No. 2 Auburn Tigers cruised through non-conference play, going 12-1. Their only loss came to No. 9 Duke in Cameron Indoor Stadium, 84-78.
The Tigers performed at an all-time high throughout their first 13 games, recording two wins versus AP top five teams, notching a nation-leading six Quad 1 wins, and recording the highest-ever offensive efficiency in KenPom history.
Now comes the real test for the Tigers, conference play in what seems to be the toughest league in all of college basketball. The SEC boasts nine teams in the most recent top 25 AP poll, and Auburn starts off its daunting task ahead with Missouri on Saturday in Neville Arena.
“Just never seen anything like it,” said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl of the SEC this season. “So, therefore, as we head into the start of conference play it's going to be a battle of attrition in so many ways.
After going winless in conference play a season ago, Missouri has picked up some momentum in the first part of the 2024 season, upsetting then No. 1 Kansas and coasting to an 11-2 record thus far. It has played in three Quad 1 games (1-2) and gives the black and gold Tigers a No. 48 standing in the overall NET rankings.
“They’re coming in here hungry,” Pearl said. “They should have a level of confidence. They beat Kansas when they were number one. They beat a really good Cal team. They lost to Illinois by three, who beat Oregon by 30 last night. They lost their first game at Memphis, close. It’s a good team.”
The visiting Tigers are led in scoring by guard Mark Mitchell, who averages 13.8 points per game along with a team-high five rebounds per game. He is accompanied by three other Tigers who average double-digits – Tamar Bates, Caleb Grill and Anthony Robinson II. Grill shoots a 51.1% clip from deep, with the next closest being Bates at 36.2%.
The black and gold Tigers shoot a 36.5% clip from beyond the arc as a team, though they enter Saturday’s matchup at No. 9 in the country with a 61% clip from two-point land and are No.11 in the nation with 87.3 points per game.
Auburn leads the nation offensively in turnover percentage with a 2.21 assist-to-turnover ratio. However, Missouri is fifth in the nation in steals forced per game with 10.3, presenting Auburn with a challenge it hasn’t quite seen thus far.
“They’ll challenge it. They’re going to turn us over. They’re going to press up on the ball. They’re going to make our catches difficult,” Pearl said. “They’re going to play 10 guys in double-digit minutes. They score 41 off their bench, so we’re not going to wear them out. So, they play hard. They’re fresh and furious all game long. So, our ability to take care of the ball will be really important and it will affect our playcalling.”
Tipoff for Saturday is set for 3 p.m. CT and can be seen on SECN.
To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email logan.fowler@1819News.com.
Don't miss out! Subscribe to our newsletter and get our top stories every weekday morning.
