Auburn Basketball: Ole Miss Presents New Challenges for Tigers
By Ty Roush
The Auburn basketball team has a difficult matchup against Ole Miss this Saturday, Jan. 6.
This one will be tough.
Ole Miss recently lost to Florida, 63-70, and is performing at relatively the same pace as the Auburn Tigers. Falling to 9-5 on Tuesday with their collapse against the Gators, the Rebels appear to be running on the same gear as they always do – aggressively average.
Despite their moderate temperament, these Rebels have a roster that is capable of dealing some damage, with just a hint of inconsistency holding them back. They’ve got shooters, and they’ve got a consistent big man down low.
Sebastian Saiz, a senior forward, is second on the team in scoring with 15.7 points – completing his double-double average with an SEC leading 12.2 rebounds a game. Defensively, Saiz will make it difficult for Mustapha Heron or Jared Harper to get to the basket, even making it difficult for LaRon Smith and Austin Wiley to keep their feet steady under the rim.
Auburn Tigers
The guards are equally as impressive, with Deandre Burnett leading his team in scoring at 19.1 PPG, good for third in the SEC.
This Ole Miss team is averaging a solid 35.4 three point field goal percentage, with Cullen Neal leading the bunch at 40 percent. Scoring won’t be difficult, and with their size and rock down in the paint it presumably won’t be much of a task.
What stunts the Rebels are the turnovers and inability to keep the offense rolling, failing to utilize the talents that statistics present them possessing. Sixteen turnovers per game, three more than Auburn’s 13, Ole Miss struggles to keep their offense and defense in harmony – something that Auburn has shown to take advantage of.
What to watch for in this matchup is how two freshmen will score. Danjel Purifoy‘s three point shot has become more impressive as each competitor comes by, and with this struggling Rebels defense, it may be his time to shine.
Mustapha Heron will also have another opportunity to show growth and boast some of his newfound experience in the SEC, as it’ll be tough for him to take it to the basket as often as he typically does.
Something I would look for is Austin Wiley having more say in the offense, his young stature with his forever growing size would be essential in a battle against one of the best big men in college basketball.
Even if national attention has yet to find Saiz, it will be up to Auburn to decipher how to take down this sleeping giant. Prediction: Auburn 74 – Ole Miss 71