Here we take a look at the stretch of three straight losses for Auburn basketball and the matchup with LSU on Feb. 21.
Auburn basketball had a real possibility of reaching the NCAA Tournament come Feb. 12, and then three straight losses happened. Ole Miss presented a relaxing game to install a more system offense. Florida was meant to be the stamp while Texas A&M would get things sent off into the SEC Tournament. The Tigers could realistically be sitting at 19-8 on the season, 8-6 in the SEC.
Auburn is installed at 16-11, 5-9 in the SEC while tied with Mississippi State for third to last in the conference. Reliability on 3-point shooting while attempting to maintain a presence in the paint brought about the Duke Basketball Disease. An accumulation of both confidence and ego built on shooting resulted in second half collapses and blunders. While the Rebels went on to score 63 to finish off a 23-point comeback, Florida would push ahead for 64 despite being tied at halftime.
It was more tame against Texas A&M as the Tigers held the Aggies to just 40 in the second half, but it simply was not enough. It is hoped that as Auburn travels to LSU the offense will begin to click and finish off the sweep. Inconsistency coupled with inexperience has Auburn fans wondering how a push into the SEC Tournament will be successful.
Looking Ahead to LSU
Despite Auburn’s recent struggles, nothing compares to the sorrow of LSU basketball. LSU is riding a losing streak of 13 games, which includes a 78-74 loss to the Tigers. Auburn would struggle to shoot in this game, going 27-for-66 (40.9 percent) from the field and 5-for-21 (23.8 percent) from the 3-point arc. T.J. Dunans led the team in scoring with 12 points on 6-for-13 from the field, Austin Wiley on route to SEC Freshman of the Week honors with 10 points, six rebounds, one assist and two blocks.
LSU is a challenge for Auburn to turn things around and figure the offense out. Evidently, 3-point shooting will be key to a victory as Wiley will once again be needed down low. I do not believe in a potential second half breakdown, but the possibility does exist. These Tigers struggled mightily to push ahead against LSU, barely taking the three-point win. It will come down to how many 3-pointers Auburn will miss and how often they rely on taking those shots.
I do believe in this being a stepping stone entering March. Auburn needs time to learn how to run their offense, utilizing each piece wisely and efficiently. Bruce Pearl must understand that, despite routinely falling apart in winnable games, winning requires patience. Certainly as the Tigers look to prevent a four-game losing streak, patience will be a virtue off and on the floor.
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Prediction: Auburn 80 – LSU 70