Auburn will tip off the 2017-18 season against Norfolk State on Friday, but will be without two projected starters.
Sophomores Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy remain sidelined indefinitely due to the FBI’s ongoing investigation into former assistant coach Chuck Person, and there’s no current timetable as to when the players could return to action.
Without those two, the results haven’t been all that pretty thus far.
The Tigers lost to Division II Barry University in an exhibition game last week, giving up 100 points in the process.
However, Bruce Pearl still has plenty of depth to work with going forward, and he’ll look to get things back on track in the opener against the Spartans.
Players to Watch
Mustapha Heron (Auburn)
With Wiley and Purifoy on the sidelines, Heron’s job gets a little tougher.
But as we learned last season, the versatile guard is more than capable to rising to the occasion.
Heron averaged 15.2 points and 6.1 rebounds last season while shooting 42 percent from beyond the arc.
He’s still the driving force of this team, and even if he has to shift from shooting guard to small forward at times, it’s nothing he hasn’t done before.
He’s the most important piece of the puzzle right now with Wiley and Purifoy out of action.
Desean Murray (Auburn)
Murray is a player that still isn’t getting enough attention.
He will certainly add some help scoring-wise after averaging 20.2 points per game in his final season at Presbyterian, but he’ll also add a toughness and versatility that Auburn needs in order to succeed this year.
Despite being an undersized forward at 6-3, Murray should be a reliable offensive and defensive presence for the Tigers all season long.
Zaynah Robinson (Norfolk State)
With Jonathan Wade’s departure leaving a huge void in the scoring department (19.4 points per game last season), Robinson should be the Spartans’ go-to-guy right out of the gate.
He played a whopping 35.6 minutes per game last season and should match that this time around as one of six seniors on the Norfolk State roster.
Robinson had eight games of 20 or more points last season, and with balanced scorers around him, Auburn will need to prevent him from getting hot.
He’s someone that’ll be fun to watch this season.
How Auburn Can Win
When you give up 100 points in an exhibition game, the key to victory in your next game is usually pretty simple.
Yes, the Tigers simply have to play consistent defense both inside and out.
Wiley’s ability to affect shots in the paint would certainly be a major boost, but that’s not an option at the moment. That means that other players will need to step up and deliver quality minutes, with Horace Spencer, Anfernee McClemore, and Chuma Okeke likely being three guys that’ll have plenty of opportunities to do just that.
On the perimeter, Auburn has to prevent open shots and keep opposing guards from finding the paint on a constant basis.
This game should tell us a lot about the mental makeup on of this team on the defensive side of the court, especially considering the outcome of the exhibition game against Barry.
How Norfolk State Can Win
Aside from exploiting Auburn’s defensive issues, the Spartans will need to be efficient to win a game like this one.
Norfolk State was 329th in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency category last season, and with top scorer Wade out of the picture, that could still be an issue.
Also, Auburn wasn’t a particularly great rebounding team last season, so forwards Jordan Butler and Alex Long may be able to aid the Spartans in grabbing an advantage on the glass.
Seven-footer Dan Robinson and 6-11 center Bryan Gellineau could also present problems on the boards.
Game Details
Date: November 10 at Auburn Arena
Time: 8 p.m. EST
TV: SEC Network+
Who wins on November 10?
- Auburn (77%, 10 Votes)
- Norfolk State (23%, 3 Votes)
Total Voters: 13
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