After opening the season with a 102-74 victory over Norfolk State, Auburn will look to keep the momentum going in its Charleston Classic opener against Indiana State on Thursday.
But while the Tigers’ scoring output was impressive on night one, it was the Sycamores that captured many headlines due to their performance at in-state rival Indiana.
Indiana State knocked down 17 of 26 attempts from the 3-point line to cruise to a dominating 90-69 win in Bloomington and will look to continue that hot shooting.
Auburn will still be without Austin Wiley and Danjel Purifoy, who remain sidelined due to the ongoing investigation into the program.
Players to Watch
Bryce Brown (Auburn)
It’s always intriguing to see how a player follows up a huge scoring performance, and that’s what Brown will try to do on Thursday.
The junior guard exploded for 31 points on 12-of-16 shooting from the floor, which included connecting on four 3-pointers on the night.
With Wiley and Purifoy out, the Tigers will need to find guys to replace their contributions since both figure to be among the top scorers on the team.
If Brown can stay confident and build off last week’s opener, he has a chance to be one of Auburn’s top scorers going forward.
Anfernee McLemore (Auburn)
McLemore didn’t get a ton of attention this offseason after playing only 15 minutes a game as a freshman.
However, it’s clear that he will be expected to play a larger role this season, especially with the two aforementioned players sidelined.
McLemore started the season on a good note in scoring 10 points and grabbing seven rebounds, and his continued contributions will be important to this team’s success.
Brenton Scott (Indiana State)
In a development that is in no way surprising given what he’s meant to the program the past several years, it was that Scott led the way for the Sycamores at Indiana in scoring 24 points, with 18 of those coming from the 3-point line.
He will undoubtedly be the player that Indiana State turns to in order to try to exploit Auburn’s perimeter defense, and he’s proven capable of doing that to many teams over the years.
Scott is really fun to watch.
How Auburn Can Win
It would be easy if Auburn could simply focus on Scott and not worry about everyone else. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here.
Four different Indiana State players made at least two 3-pointers against Indiana, and Jordan Barnes wasn’t far behind Scott in going 5 of 7 from downtown.
Auburn’s perimeter defense was better against Norfolk State than it was in exhibition play against Barry University, but this is still a team that has a tendency to have too many lapses on that side of the floor.
Considering what the Sycamores did in their regular season opener, it’s crucial that Bruce Pearl’s team stay focused on defense.
How Indiana State Can Win
The obvious answer is to shoot as well as it did against Indiana.
However, since it seems unlikely that Indiana State makes 17 3-pointers again, let’s go with finding a way to gain an edge on the glass.
Auburn wasn’t a great rebounding team last season, but the Tigers are extremely athletic and still have quality rebounders even with Wiley and Purifoy out of action.
It’s also worth noting that Auburn gave up a ton of offense rebounds last year, and if the Sycamores can find a way to earn extra opportunities that way, it could give Indiana State another surprising win.
Game Details
Date: November 16
Time: 11:30 a.m. EST
TV: ESPNU
Who wins on November 16?
- Auburn (56%, 56 Votes)
- Indiana State (44%, 44 Votes)
Total Voters: 100
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