Auburn Basketball Beats Virginia Tech in SEC/ACC Challenge

The Auburn Tigers were matched up with Virginia Tech for the battle of the SEC vs. the ACC. Auburn jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, defeating VT 74-57. It was clear that Auburn was the more talented team in this matchup, and I was satisfied with the way we handled business. Winning these types of games convincingly will fare well for us when seeding for the tournament rolls around.

I've got a couple negative and a couple positive takeaways from this one...

-I love the intensity on defense. Auburn held VT to 27.5% from the field and forced 21 turnovers. That being said, we HAVE to get better at defending without fouling. Auburn is currently sitting at 323 in the NCAA for fouls per game (lower ranking=more fpg), averaging a whopping 20.8 in each matchup. This may not seem like a big issue now, but when we get into conference play, we can't afford to give up this many free throws to our opponents. When the competition gets tougher, free throws often are the difference in the game. I'd hate to see us lose a big game because we are playing undisciplined defense. Play intense, but don't play out of control.

-The depth of this team is going to serve them well. We beat a solid VT team by 17, and we had two starters score ZERO points. When it comes time for the SEC and NCAA tournaments, one-dimensional offenses usually don't last. The likelihood of a star player staying hot for six straight games is very slim, which is why the NCAA tournament is so unpredictable and tough to win. Having multiple guys that can step up and score is essential for a big run.

-We're still giving up too many offensive rebounds. I just don't think our guys are fully committed to rebounding on that end of the floor yet. Luckily, this should be an easy fix. Defensive rebounding is more about mindset than it is about skill. When you have five guys on the floor at all times that are dedicated to rebounding, you will give up very few offensive boards. We have to box out and have all five guys looking for the ball when it comes off the rim.

-Our shooting splits last night were 38.7% from the field (yikes), 12.5% from three (mega yikes), and 66.7% from the line (triple yikes). Just not a very good night shooting the ball. I think that these struggles are temporary, but some of the struggles arise from poor shot selection. This team has a bad habit of getting complacent when we get a lead. There has been at least one scoreless stretch in every game that we've had a double digit lead. When you have a lead, you still have to run your offense and get to your spots. Bruce Pearl addressed this after the game, asking his players if they think he is crazy (paraphrasing) for continuing to coach hard when they have a big lead. I appreciate that Pearl is looking at the bigger picture. We can get away with these scoreless stretches against inferior opponents, but when we are playing teams that are as good and potentially better than we are, these scoreless stretches are going to lead to losses.

-Johni Broome was an animal last night. They had no answer for him on the offensive end, and I thought he made some great plays on the defensive end as well. This was very refreshing to see, as I have been very critical of his defense up to this point. I believe he will continue to dominate against teams without a true big.

-Shoutout to Chad Baker-Mazara for stepping up in a game where some of our other main scoring options struggled. He finished with 15 points, with him and Johni being the only two guys in double figures. CBM is turning out to be a somewhat underrated portal addition. I hope he takes this momentum and runs with it.

Overall, not a bad game from Auburn. It was a somewhat confusing 17-point win for Auburn, seeing as we shot so poorly. Could've been the late start time, could've been the long break between games, or it could've just simply been an off night. I trust that Bruce will have our guys ready to go for Sunday at Appalachian State. I will warn you now, this is a potential trap game. App State is 102nd in Kenpom, but I am sure that they will be looking to grab a signature win to put themselves in position to maybe make the tournament down the road. We need to put together a solid performance and handle business. Don't expect to blow these guys out.