By Brant Daughtry
That was one of the more dominant performances that we’ve seen in a while from this team. Maybe even the team’s best game of the year. I said earlier this week that Auburn had a distinct advantage down low against Ole Miss that they really took advantage of in the first matchup, and they had an opportunity to pounce on that weakness again. And boy did they. Johni Broome had another massive night and with Dylan Cardwell and Chaney Johnson contributing, Ole Miss had no shot. 41 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 blocks between the three of them.
But it wasn’t just inside. Auburn got its groove back from the perimeter, hitting 11 of its 21 three point attempts, once again dominating against Ole Miss from the perimeter. It’s no guarantee of anything moving forward, but it was a dominant effort and yet another Quad 1 win, giving Auburn 15 on the year. The next closest it Alabama with 10. It’s been said before in many different ways, but this team is just special.
Johni Broome continues to be incredible. He’s the best player in the country week in and week out, and he deserves all the honors coming his way at the end of the season. Couldn’t quite wrap up that double-double though, finished just shy with nine rebounds. Thing is, Auburn will probably need him to get that if they’re going to win the next one.
Kentucky is coached by Mark Pope, which is an odd thing to type. They’re 19-9 on the year, and like most team’s in the SEC, they have some serious scalps but also a few baffling losses. They beat Duke in Atlanta earlier this year, and also have wins over Florida, Texas A&M, and Tennessee twice. They also have weird losses to Texas, Ole Miss, and Georgia. They’re talented and can beat anyone, but also inconsistent.
They’re a little like Alabama, at least as far as stats go. They give up a ton of points, 76.6 PPG specifically, which places them at 304th in NCAA. They make up for that by scoring 85.6 PPG, which is third. They go about it differently, but it’s clear that, much like Alabama, they’re okay giving up 90, because they expect to score 100.
Players to Watch For:
Guard Otega Oweh, #0- Oweh is the lead scorer for the Cats, as well as the leading rebounder. He shoots well from outside, and has decent size for the guard position. He’s a very solid all-around player, and while he won’t blow you away with anything, he’s going to put together a solid performance. He’s also an incredibly clutch player, coming through with some big time plays a few times this year. He’s not going to back down from a big moment if this game comes to that.
Guard Lamont Butler, #1- Butler is an experienced and versatile point guard, who’s had some bad injury luck this year. He’s missed eight games this year, just coming back earlier this week. He’s the lead ball handler for Kentucky and gets about five assists a game, and he’s a threat to grab a steal or two a game as well, something Kentucky desperately needs with their defensive shortcomings. If he’s back fully healthy, he makes Kentucky a lot better.
This final stretch for Auburn is kinda brutal. Kentucky, A&M, and Alabama are all really good teams, with them getting better as the stretch goes on. Personally, I think Auburn needs to win two of the final three to lock up the number 1 overall seed in the Tournament. It’ll be tough, but this team hasn’t backed down from a challenge yet.
