Auburn men's basketball could 'make history' come the NCAA Tournament
How impressive was that?
Entering Wednesday night’s matchup at No. 13 Auburn, No. 11 South Carolina had won seven straight, including victories over then-No. 6 Kentucky and then-No. 5 Tennessee. But the Tigers handed the Gamecocks a massive serving of humble pie at Neville Arena, building a 22-point halftime lead, then cruising to a 101-61 win.
"They played some inspired, determined, intentional basketball," South Carolina head coach Lamont Paris told reporters after the game, regarding Auburn. "In their energy, in their demeanor, in their defensive effort."
Coming in, it was clear that South Carolina’s path to victory was via a half-court affair. The Gamecocks appeared to be executing that plan well, taking a 9-4 lead in the early going.
But then, the hosts took control. Spurred by 44 points from the frontcourt duo of Jaylin Williams and Johni Broome, 25 points off 13 South Carolina turnovers and a 12-of-20 mark from downtown, Auburn moved into joint second place in the SEC (alongside South Carolina, and a half-game behind Alabama) with authority.
"We made shots and played with great freedom," Tigers head coach Bruce Pearl told reporters. "... We also disrupted them offensively, we turned them over, we were aggressive and made plenty of offense out of our defense."
Forty-point wins in conference play — particularly against teams as stout as South Carolina — are hard to come by. It’s tempting to chalk up that gaudy margin, at least partially, to the Tigers having a hot night from beyond the arc and the Gamecocks hitting just three triples.
But make no mistake; something is brewing down on the Plains. Wednesday was just the latest example.
After all, just last week, Auburn took care of business at home against the conference-leading Crimson Tide, handing Alabama only its second loss in SEC play via a 99-81 smothering. This is a group that is, at its best, capable of running you out of the gym.
Plus, the metrics prove the Tigers’ mettle as one of the elites. According to KenPom, Auburn is the only team in the country in the top 10 in adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency. That distinction doesn’t belong to UConn, Purdue or Houston, the clear-cut top three in the AP Poll.
No, it belongs to the Tigers. And it should put Auburn as, along with Tennessee, the top title contender from the SEC.
This weekend, though, that status will be put to the test.. The Tigers host No. 22 Kentucky, a team that will be desperate to avoid losing its fifth game in eight tries, on Saturday at 6 p.m. ET. ESPN’s "College Gameday" will be on hand, and the contest is one of three ranked matchups set for that day — the others being No. 4 Marquette at No. 1 UConn and No. 6 Kansas at No. 25 Oklahoma.
But it also will be a chance for the country to see just what this team is made of. Odds are, viewers will come away impressed, and wondering whether the Tigers will reach just their second Final Four in program history — the first coming in 2019.
"We talk about trying to make history, and this team is trying to make history," Pearl said. "There’s no better than having Kentucky, national television, 'College GameDay.' ... We work all year long for these opportunities."
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