Auburn rose from No. 2 to No. 1 within the Related Press Prime 25 on Monday, however the host Tigers will not have their finest participant for his or her Tuesday evening Southeastern Convention sport in opposition to No. 15 Mississippi State.
Ahead/heart and participant of the yr candidate Johni Broome was helped off the ground throughout Saturday’s 66-63 win at South Carolina with what coach Bruce Pearl termed a big ankle sprain.
An MRI on Sunday confirmed the post-game analysis. Surgical procedure isn’t required, however a timeline for Broome’s return is not out there but.
Pearl is making ready the Tigers (15-1, 3-0) to be with out their 6-foot-10 anchor, who leads the workforce in scoring (17.9 factors per sport), rebounding (10.7), assists (3.2) and blocked pictures (2.7).
“With out our participant of the yr, it should be onerous to search out offense,” Pearl stated. “Johni’s unstoppable down there. It may be similar to it was for us within the second half — received to be the subsequent man up.”
Fifth-year senior Dylan Cardwell, who averages 5.5 factors, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocked pictures, would possibly get the primary shot at changing Broome. Cardwell made a key contribution to Saturday’s win with a late dunk that put Auburn forward 64-63 with 1:32 remaining.
With out Broome’s offense, the Tigers — who’ve received eight straight video games — determine to get extra pictures for his or her 5 different double-figure scorers, led by Chad Baker-Mazara (12.7 ppg). Tahaad Pettiford (11.3), who sank the clinching foul pictures at South Carolina, may additionally see an elevated function inside Auburn’s offense.
It will likely be fascinating to see if the Tigers can keep their excessive degree of effectivity on offense when Broome is out. The Bulldogs (14-2, 2-1) are identified for his or her tenacity on protection as they power 14.6 turnovers per sport and enter Monday tied for eleventh within the nation with 10.1 steals per sport.
Mississippi State missed on an opportunity to make an early assertion within the SEC on Saturday evening when its usually staunch protection gave up 16 3-pointers in a 95-90 house loss to No. 6 Kentucky. It was the Bulldogs’ 18th straight regular-season loss to the Wildcats relationship to 2009. The defeat additionally snapped the Bulldogs’ eight-game profitable streak this season.
However coach Chris Jans stated the largest drawback was on the offensive finish, though the 90 factors marked the workforce’s most in opposition to an SEC opponent in his three seasons at Mississippi State.
“I used to be a little bit shocked by a few of our pictures,” he stated. “They simply have been virtually like they have been shocked they have been open so I ought to shoot it. I believed we’ve a number of guys take some pictures that have been like, ‘We do not want that.'”
The Bulldogs fell in love with 3-pointers, taking 40, however the hoop did not fairly return that affection. Mississippi State made simply 12 triples, with the workforce’s main scorer this season, Josh Hubbard, managing 3 on 11 tries.
“I’ve received unbelievable confidence in Josh,” Jans stated. “He is confirmed over the course of a year-and-a-half that he is a prolific scorer and he shoots pictures that typically would not be a terrific shot for another person simply due to his stature and his energy and his sport.”
Hubbard averages 17 factors a sport and has made 37.3 p.c of his 3-pointers, although he is capturing simply 30.8 p.c from distance during the last 12 video games.
The Tigers personal an 83-71 lead within the all-time collection and have received 9 of the final 11 matchups.
–Subject Stage Media
