Following a disjointed loss at Florida on Wednesday night, Mississippi State will be back at Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday for another big opportunity as No. 8 Auburn visits Starkville.
The Tigers were the last remaining undefeated team in Southeastern Conference play before suffering a four-point defeat Wednesday night on the road against Alabama, which moved the in-state rivals into a tie atop the standings. The loss snapped an 11-game winning streak for Auburn (16-3, 4-1 SEC), whose two previous defeats came against a ranked Baylor team in Sioux Falls, S.D. and on the road to Appalachian State.
Still, the Tigers are the only team in the top 25 of the NET rankings without a Quadrant 1 win. The Bulldogs are currently at No. 42, so beating them at The Hump would give Auburn that elusive first Quadrant 1 victory.
Head coach Bruce Pearl’s team has one of the SEC’s top offenses, scoring 83.3 points per game and making 47 percent of its field goal attempts. The Tigers share the ball effectively and are second in the conference in assists per game, trailing only Kentucky. They also do a good job taking care of the ball, turning it over less frequently than only the Wildcats and Texas A&M among SEC teams.
Auburn’s defense has been an even greater strength, allowing the second-fewest points per game in the conference. The Tigers have held their opponents to 37.8 percent shooting and 29.6 percent on 3-pointers, both of which are also second in the SEC. The 14.1 turnovers Auburn forces per game are second as well.
Johni Broome, in his second year with the Tigers after spending two seasons at Morehead State, will battle Tolu Smith and Jimmy Bell Jr. in the post Saturday and averages 15.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per contest, ranking second in the SEC in both rebounds and blocks. Veteran Jaylin Williams is the only other Tiger averaging double-figure scoring, although freshman point guard Aden Holloway is close with 9.6 points per game.
Auburn distributes its minutes relatively evenly and has a deep bench, with 10 players playing at least 15 minutes on average.
Here are three keys to victory for MSU (13-6, 2-4) as the Bulldogs try to pick up their second signature home win this month.
Slow the game down
Even with their size, the Gators forced MSU to play faster than the Bulldogs were accustomed to, leading to low-percentage shots early in the shot clock when MSU had the ball and easy transition baskets for Florida on the other end. Playing slow could play right into the hands of a strong defensive team like the Tigers, but it also plays to the Bulldogs’ strengths. Drawing out possessions gives MSU the best chance to find an opening down low or an open shot from outside.
Keep Tolu Smith in the post
Smith and Bell briefly shared the floor Wednesday night for the first time all season, with limited success. Smith is a better ball-handler than Bell, so having him start at the top of the key and drive his way inside isn’t necessarily a bad strategy, but it’s still not what he does best. The Bulldogs will have to find Smith on the low block and let him either score in the paint or draw a foul — or, ideally, both. Broome and Dylan Cardwell are both in the top five in the SEC in blocks per game, but a healthy Smith should be a match for both of them.
Cut off the passing lanes
Auburn’s biggest offensive strengths are sharing the ball and not turning it over, so MSU’s best bet to slow down the Tigers is to clog as many passing lanes as possible. Whether that’s Smith or Bell getting a hand on an entry pass, D.J. Jeffries or Cameron Matthews switching effectively, or Shakeel Moore or one of the other guards disrupting Auburn’s backcourt, the Bulldogs have to find a way to take the Tigers out of their rhythm.
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