By Brant Daughtry
Boy this team is fun.
I don’t believe in moral victories. Neither does Bruce Pearl. Auburn went into Cameron Indoor Stadium and expected to win, and coming away with a loss is a disappointment for this team.
But with that said, what a thing to call a disappointment. According to KenPom, Duke is the number 1 defense in the country, and Auburn went into their house and hung 78. This is arguably the best offense of the Bruce Peal era, and they score in so many different ways. The defense and rebounding, specifically in the first half, weren’t up to par, but the second half was much better. Duke is a really good team, maybe the most talented team in the country. I don’t believe in moral victories. But this is about as close as you can get.
Against Richmond, this team did what it needed to do. The Spiders were pretty good last year, but couldn’t hold up against Auburn. I was glad to see Jakhi Howard get back on the floor, and do so early. Dude is a really good basketball player at the end of the day, and you never say no to more depth. He’s also probably not a one and done player, so you need to be able to build around him. I know the narrative around him, and he’s earned that. But Bruce believes he can get him to buy in. He’s done it before.
I’ve also been super impressed with the shooting of Chad Baker-Mazara this year. I was extremely happy to see him say he was coming back to Auburn this year, and thought he had a chance to be an All-SEC guy. To this point, he’s surpassed my expectations. He’s an above-average perimeter defender, made even better by putting hi next to Denver Jones, and he’s been able to hit a jump shot from anywhere on the floor. He’s playing at a very high level right now, and his three-level scoring ability is such an asset to this team.
It’s another neutral site game this weekend, but one I expect Auburn to have more of the crowd in. Ohio State is, obviously, further away, and Atlanta has a massive Auburn fan base. This should be a fun one.
Ohio State is coached by Jake Diebler, a relatively younger guy in his first year as a head coach after a stint as an assistant under Chris Holtmann. Holtmann got fired in the middle of last season, and Diebler led the Buckeyes to a 5-1 finish to remove the interim tag.
This team is offense-dominant. They are not great defensively, but are trying to score 80 on any given night. They haven’t won a lot of rock fights. If Auburn can play up to their standard defensively, it could be a pretty good night.
Players to Watch For:
Guard Bruce Thornton, #2- Thornton in his third year as a starter for Ohio State, and he plays like it. He’s averaging 32 minutes, 5.7 assists, and 16 points per game, all leading the team. He’s seen it all and was named to the academic All-Big 10 team last year, so you’re not going to throw a look at him that he can’t handle mentally. He’s also an extremely efficient three-point shooter, over 50% on the season. It’s going to be all on execution.
Forward Devin Royal, #21- Royal is just behind Thornton in minutes and points, and leads the team in rebounds. He’s long and athletic, and is averaging a steal per game as well. Basketball has a lot of Batman-and-Robin pairings, and this team is similar.
Auburn comes in as the number 2 team in the country, and is heavily favored in this game. Ohio State has some decent wins, and figures to be a tournament team, but Auburn should handle them pretty well. They’re one of the better defensive teams in the country, which has given Ohio State trouble this year. Auburn still has the best offense in the country according to KenPom, and Ohio State has had trouble on defense. If the Tigers come in focused and play to their standard, this could be a game where the Tigers hang 100 and walk away with another big time win in Atlanta. If they don’t though, an experienced point guard will make the day difficult.
