Tag: Auburn

After a thrilling home win over No. 6 Tennessee Saturday night, Auburn men’s basketball heads back on the road for another Quad I game.

This one comes against the LSU Tigers, a team that currently sits 1-5 in Southeastern Conference play, but still ranks in the top 75 of both KenPom and the NCAA’s NET rankings.

LSU is coming off a seven-point loss at No. 4 Alabama, a game in which the Bayou Bengals were within a possession of the Crimson Tide for most of the night.

Here’s a closer look at LSU ahead of Wednesday night’s matchup:

The season so far

LSU comes into Wednesday’s game 12-7 (1-5 SEC) and having lost each of its last two games.

The Tigers do not have a Quad I win this season, but their two best wins came at home against Arkansas on Jan. 14 and a neutral site win over UCF on Nov. 24. LSU is currently 0-6 in Quad I games, but 4-1 in Quad II games.

Despite not having a Quad I win, LSU still ranks No. 67 in the NET, meaning that Wednesday will be a Quad I opportunity for Auburn, since the game is on the road. Auburn currently has 11 Quad I wins, more than any other team in the country.

LSU’s athleticism is arguably its most recognizable trait and something that Bruce Pearl pointed out when speaking with reporters Tuesday.

“Bouncy, long, young. They like to play fast,” Pearl said. “They do a good job in transition.”

Players to watch

LSU has had issues creating offense for much of SEC play, but most of its production comes from its backcourt of UT-Martin transfer Jordan Sears and Kansas State transfer Cam Carter.

Carter leads the team in scoring (17.6 points per game) and is shooting 39.2% from 3-point range. Sears is less efficient, but still averages 14.2 points per game.

As a team, LSU shoots just 30.8% from 3, but 57.3% from 2-point range, ranking 22nd in the country, per KenPom. The Tigers also score 20% of their points from the free throw line, an effort led by Sears who shoots 87.8% from the line on 82 attempts this season.

LSU freshman guard Vyctorius Miller is expected to return against Auburn, according to Tuesday’s SEC availability report, giving the Tigers another boost in the backcourt. He’s averaging 10.1 points in 16 games while shooting 63.8% from 2-point range.

He missed LSU’s previous two games due to injury, but had double-figures against high-major competition such as Kansas State, Pittsburgh, UCF and Florida State.

In the frontcourt, LSU is lacking consistent scoring after losing Jalen Reed for the season, but Corey Chest and Daimion Collins are both key contributors with their length and athleticism.

Chest had 12 points and 18 rebounds against Alabama and ranks ninth in the SEC in rebounding, averaging 7.5 per game. Collins is LSU’s top rim protector, ranking 52nd in the country in block percentage (8%) and helping LSU to the No. 13 ranking in 2-point defense.

Keys to the game

Control the glass

Offensive rebounds kept LSU in the game against Alabama, and Auburn has had problems at times this season on the offensive glass.

That will be important against a team like LSU, who is relatively inefficient from the field, but can create offense through second chance opportunities, particularly at the rim.

Having Johni Broome back in the lineup will give Auburn a boost in that aspect of the game, but it will take more than just him to take control of the glass and not let LSU keep itself in the game with second chance points.

Make LSU’s guards uncomfortable

As mentioned earlier, LSU’s offensive success begins and ends with its backcourt. However, LSU is in the bottom half of college basketball when it comes to ball security.

Auburn’s defense isn’t necessarily known for forcing turnovers and creating a lot of fastbreak points, but those opportunities will likely present themselves against LSU.

The key is to make that an issue early for the Bayou Bengals, not letting their talented guards play at the pace they want to. Denver Jones will be a player to watch for Auburn, likely getting the assignment of Sears, a guard who can score at all three levels and someone Pearl called “a really tough cover.”

Use your size

Auburn will have a size advantage across the board against LSU, something the orange and blue Tigers can use to their advantage against a solid defense. It’s also an advantage defensively, giving Auburn good length to guard LSU’s smaller, but talented backcourt.

Auburn’s guards are bigger than LSU’s, and while LSU’s front line is long and athletic, it’s not as strong and heavy as Auburn’s with Broome, Dylan Cardwell and Chaney Johnson.

Leaning into that strength advantage will be important on the glass and when going to the basket against a good shot blocking team.

Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at prauterkus@al.com