Auburn Basketball: Ole Miss game will be Battle of the Giants

Here we take a look at Auburn basketball’s matchup against Ole Miss on Feb. 11, where the Tigers look to cement their conference resume.

Auburn basketball faces its next task against the Ole Miss Rebels this Saturday, Feb. 11, with the Tigers taking on a team that presents one of the best big men in college basketball.

Sebastian Saiz has been Mr. Double-Double for the Rebels, second in the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game and leading the team in rebounding at 11.6 boards. Saiz does not necessarily present imposing height at 6-foot-9, yet his size at 240 pounds and a wingspan over 7-foot-3 presents some challenges for Auburn.

A task of guarding someone so long and successful on the court will most likely come down to a core group of freshmen. Austin Wiley‘s size, both in height and weight, suggests that he will have the capacity to shut down Saiz for the entirety of the game. Wiley’s experience and talent also presents the ability for Auburn to dominate on the floor as he will simply be the biggest player on the court — something most centers tend to enjoy boasting.

Though it’s not some Shaquille O’Neal comparison for Wiley to instantaneously consume and immediately shutdown Saiz, however, as he will be needing some help from his forwards. T.J. Dunans or Danjel Purifoy would also be perfect for the job as both are successful for the Tigers on the defensive side of the ball.

Both Mustapha Heron and Jared Harper had previous success against the Rebels in their first meeting this season in the 88-85 loss. Harper led the team in scoring with 24 points, Heron second with 20. With Ronnie Johnson‘s emergence as a safety valve for Auburn, it is hoped that he will join successful guard play — along with a surging Bryce Brown — in what could be a dominant showing all around.

It will most likely come down to how Auburn will compose themselves outside of the 3-point line, but from the past few weeks it’s impossible to know how will these Tigers will shoot. Recent failures has urged Auburn to throw the ball down low on every possession, which has led to some easy fast break turnover points for opponents.

Brown emerged last game going 5-7 from beyond the arch, and Harper’s ability to come back every other week for an explosion leaves some belief he could do it against Ole Miss — who also hide around some talented guards. It is hoped that the big men will cancel each other out and leave Auburn’s freshmen take the lead — and that may be a character builder with Florida coming up.

Next: How Auburn's New Tight Ends Could Change Things

Who knows, maybe this will just be another showcase.

Prediction: Ole Miss 82 – 76 Auburn