With Dunans Back Auburn Has a Chance to Beat Rival Georgia

Rivalry week continues for Auburn on Wednesday night as the Tigers (10-16, 4-10) will host the Georgia Bulldogs (14-11, 7-7) after losing to Ole Miss last Saturday, and before heading to face Alabama this Saturday.

Opponent: Georgia Bulldogs (14-11, 7-7)

Location: Auburn Arena

TV: SEC Network, 6 p.m. CST

Rivalry games are important no matter what, but for Auburn, this might be their best chance to get another win this season. The Tigers are playing their second to last home game and facing a Georgia team that has lost three of their last four games.

Unfortunately for Auburn, Tyler Harris is doubtful for the game after sustaining a hit to the head against Ole Miss. If Harris is somehow able to play, Auburn would likely be a slight favorite in my eyes. Without Harris, this is still a very winnable game for Auburn, but it will require big play from Cinmeon Bowers and Horace Spencer.

Nov 27, 2015; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers guard T.J. Dunans (4) takes a shot over Northwestern State Demons guard Reginald Kissoonlal (10) during the second half at Auburn Arena. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports /

In the first meeting between these two teams, Auburn struggled to get it going offensively. Even with a late push towards the end by scoring 28 points in the final 10 minutes, Auburn only finished with 55 points for the game and lost by 10.

That was Auburn’s first game without Kareem Canty so the offense was just learning to adjust without their accustomed point guard. Now the Tigers have adjusted quite well with Cinmeon Bowers and other guards bringing the ball up the floor. The offense has improved quite a bit over the past few games and that will only continue as T.J. Dunans continues to get back into his pre-injury form.

Dunans returned to action against Ole Miss and showed his normal explosiveness – albeit with a little bit of rust. As Dunans continues to adjust to playing basketball with his teammates as a game pace, Auburn will continue to improve down the stretch. It will probably be too little, too late for most of the remaining games, but against Georgia it could easily be the slight boost that Auburn needs.

Auburn has played better at home for the majority of this season. With the home crowd behind them I think Auburn can limit Georgia’s big three of Kenny Gaines, JJ Frazier, and Charles Mann. If Auburn can hold Georgia to under 70 points, I think the offense will be able to put enough points on the board to get the victory.

Auburn can’t let their foot off the gas if they build an early lead like they did against Ole Miss. Especially if Harris doesn’t play as depth issues are still a serious concern, but that can’t stop the Tigers from playing with energy.

Auburn hasn’t been able to run much full court pressure on defense since losing several players to injuries and other issues, but that might be the trick for Auburn getting another advantage in front of their home crowd. Georgia turns the ball over more than most teams in the country, and it will serve as a perfect weakness for Auburn to exploit. Turnovers can lead to quick points for Auburn, and quick points can allow Auburn to not rely solely on shooting. Shooting is always needed, but as of lately, Auburn can’t guarantee it’s going to be there. The Tigers will need to find ways to get easy baskets and turnovers are sometimes the easiest way to do that.

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This is where T.J. Dunans can make a big difference for the Tigers. Before he got hurt, he was one of Auburn’s best defenders with an ability to block shots and get steals that lead to transition. Once he is able to get the ball free, he also has the court vision to run the length of the floor and the ability to finish at the rim. The best way for Dunans to really shake off the rust will be to attack the basket in transition. Only once Georgia starts to really collapse on him should he start to look to dish the ball to other teammates. While Auburn had Kareem Canty, Dunans could afford to be a secondary offensive player, but without Canty – and now most likely without Tyler Harris as well – Dunans has to step up alongside Bowers to lead the Tigers on offense.

Bowers and Dunans will be the key players in this game, and Bryce Brown and TJ Lang can really decide if Auburn has the advantage or not. With Dunans back, and Harris out, Bowers needs to assert himself down low once again. Bowers has been much improved at finishing at the rim when bringing the ball from the top of the key, but he needs to keep performing that well when starting on the block or closer to the basket. Bowers showed in the Ole Miss game that he can still dominate the glass, and he’ll need to do that even more so against a much stronger team like Georgia.

Bryce Brown and TJ Lang weren’t near as hot against Ole Miss as they were against Arkansas. Hopefully having Dunans back for the opposing team to consider will allow Brown and Lang to get open more. Brown has the ability to create his own shot, but Lang thrives off of the spot up jump shot. Look for Dunans to draw the defense and kick out to Lang for hopefully easy points.

Last season I got my hopes up for a home win over Georgia, but it eventually came up short. This year I think the win would be even bigger for this team. I’d like to see this team win a game or two in this final stretch so Dunans ditching his chances at a redshirt is worth it.

I think Georgia is a very winnable game for Auburn, but I’m doubtful of what kind of crowd will show up to support the Tigers on an early Wednesday night game. Crowd support can be a big boost for this team, but even with an average crowd, I think Auburn is able to get enough offense going to knock off the Bulldogs.

Auburn wins 75-70.

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