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Auburn Basketball: Previewing matchup against Arkansas

By Ty Roush

Feb 21, 2017; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Anfernee McLemore (24) blocks a shot by LSU Tigers guard Antonio Blakeney (2) during the second half of a game at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Auburn defeated LSU 98-75. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 21, 2017; Baton Rouge, LA, USA; Auburn Tigers forward Anfernee McLemore (24) blocks a shot by LSU Tigers guard Antonio Blakeney (2) during the second half of a game at Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Auburn defeated LSU 98-75. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Here we discuss Auburn basketball‘s matchup with Arkansas this Saturday, Mar. 25, as the Tigers look to push ahead to a 20-win season.

With a winning season already secured for the 2016-17 season, Auburn basketball continues its quest for a 20-win season, the first since the 2008-09 campaign. Auburn faces Arkansas at home with Georgia and Missouri on the road to finish the regular season. It is hoped that as the season comes to a close, Auburn will come away with wins against the Bulldogs and Tigers, yet there exists a roadblock with the Razorbacks.

Arkansas is coming off a win against Texas A&M 86-77. Auburn lost earlier in the season to the Aggies 81-62 as a product of poor consistency. Despite the Razorback’s seemingly dominant win, they struggled to knock down their 3-pointers, shooting 4-of-15 (26.7 percent) from beyond the arc. In fact, Arkansas had lower totals in field goal percentage and free throw percentage as well. Having shot poorly, the Razorbacks had 11 steals on the night with nine fewer turnovers (8) than Texas A&M (17). This is both a disciplined defensive team and a poorly executed offensive squad.

ESPN’s Joe Lunardi has Arkansas as the fourth and final SEC team to make the NCAA Tournament as a No. 10 seed in the Midwest. Auburn has performed relatively well against tournament teams, and Arkansas offers another opportunity for the Tigers to leave a mark.

This is not in the assumption that, with a win, Auburn will essentially slide into Arkansas’ spot in the bracket. However, as the season is coming to an end, it will definitely boost its resume moving forward into the SEC Tournament.

What Auburn Must Do To Win

Arkansas is a talented, disciplined defensive team that will make teams pay for making mistakes. Auburn is a team that continues to make mistakes despite having the ability to blow away any roster. Reliance on the outside shot will — though I hate to admit it — will be a defining factor for a Tiger victory.

Bryce Brown‘s emergence as an efficient 3-point shooter makes it evident he will be required against Arkansas. Brown’s pairing with Ronnie Johnson — as noted by my father — is something that has become quite beautiful for Auburn down the stretch.

I feel that slowing down the offense — please stray away from the fast paced stuff — will be beneficial for Auburn against a stingy defense. This means asking more out of Anfernee McLemore in the post with Austin Wiley to free up spacing for outside shots. I would enjoy seeing both of these players doing more on offense instead of 3-pointers becoming the norm.

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If Auburn is going to win, it will mean winning the second half. Getting off to a hot start is always nice, but finishing the job is sweeter.

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