No. 8 Auburn will try to build off a successful trip to Maui when it hosts Saint Peter’s on Wednesday night.
The Tigers finished 2-1 at the Maui Invitational and followed up the loss to Duke with a convincing 73-57 win over Arizona.
As for the Peacocks, they’ve lost four straight after opening the season with an overtime win over Lafayette.
Let’s run through what to watch for in this matchup.
Game Details
- No. 8 Auburn (5-1) vs. Saint Peter’s (1-4)
- Location: Auburn Arena – Auburn, AL
- Game Date: Nov. 28
- Game Time: 8 p.m. EST
- Watch: SEC Network+
Players to Watch
Austin Wiley (Auburn)
While Jared Harper and Bryce Brown stole the show in Hawaii, Wiley’s production in the first two games was encouraging for the Tigers.
The 6-11 junior had 11 points and three blocks in the win over Xavier before posting 17 points and nine rebounds in the loss to Duke.
He has yet to play over 19 minutes in his first five games back, but there’s no doubt that his size and versatility is going to be a huge asset for this team throughout the season.
Davauhnte Turner (Saint Peter’s)
Turner is the main go-to option for the Peacocks, as he’s averaging 19.4 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.8 rebounds in 33.6 minutes per game.
He has taken 75 shots this season from the field with the next closest player at 49 attempts, so it’s clear who this team will rely on in a game like this one where lots of points will be needed to pull off an upset.
Key Stats
Auburn continues to excel on the offensive glass, as Bruce Pearl’s squad currently ranks second nationally with around 16.7 offensive rebounds per game.
But there are some other significant areas of concern for the visitors on this one, especially when it comes to defending the perimeter.
The Tigers are shooting 37.7 percent from beyond the arc and getting 43.4 percent of their points from long range (12th nationally), which could be a problem for a Saint Peter’s team that’s allowing opponents to shoot 42.6 percent from 3-point land (346th nationally).
And another path to victory for Auburn will be forcing turnovers, with the reigning SEC champs producing a 26.5 turnover percentage on the defensive side of the court (third nationally).
Game Outlook
- Spread: Auburn -26
- Over/Under: 143
- KenPom Projection: Auburn, 98 percent chance to win
- ESPN BPI Projection: Auburn, 95.9 percent chance to win
Saint Peter’s is a program in transition after the coaching change to Shaheen Holloway, so there are still adjustments being made to the new system and style of play.
And then there’s Pearl’s team, who has a built-in chemistry that continues to get better and better.
The Tigers showed their worth against Duke, and they are clearly built to make a deep run in March.
Wiley and company should grab another convincing home win here.
Season Predictions Record (straight up): 65-14
Game Prediction: Auburn 90, Saint Peter’s 56
For more SEC basketball coverage, follow me on Twitter @theblakelovell.