Following Auburn's 96-84 conference-opening loss to Georgia on Thursday night, head coach Bruce Pearl and the Tigers were left with the bitter taste of their first home loss of the season, and the first loss in which a double-digit lead was held.
This young Tigers squad faces an uphill battle to compete in the conference, but Pearl has a lot to be optimistic about, as Auburn executed efficiently for much of the night.
UNSELFISH BALL MOVEMENT
Auburn’s hot first half, in which the Tigers drained went 7 of 14 from the three-point line, included multiple possessions of numerous passes. T.J. Dunans finished with 4 assists and a handful of other plays where his drive-and-kick abilities were on full display.
Dunans' toolbox of athleticism, ballhandling and ability to run the floor bolstered Auburn’s offense tremendously. Jared Harper led with 6 assists to go with his 10 points, and the Tigers bested Georgia in the assist column by a mark of 17-13.
SUPERIOR BENCH PRODUCTION
Georgia drew most its offense from Yante Maten and J.J. Frazier, both whom Pearl knew would be difficult to guard. Auburn turned in one of its more balanced offensive efforts of the early season, with the bench pouring in 23 points. Georgia’s backups scored only 7. Ronnie Johnson had 8 points and has solidified himself as a sixth man point guard, an asset the Tigers desired desperately last season. Senior T.J. Dunans and sophomore Horace Spencer each added 6 points. Spencer played much larger than his 6 foot 8 frame, so much so that the PA announcer mistook him for Austin Wiley following a put-back slam.
BOUGHT IN, SOLD OUT
The “Bruce Pearl affect”, as many basketball fans call it, seems to be in full swing on the Plains. After optimistic Auburn faithful attributed Pearl’s first two disappointing seasons to development and recruiting, it seems that the Tigers team that will put Auburn’s name on the basketball map has arrived. In the few days prior to tipoff, Auburn football tickets vs. Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl could be found for cheaper than a nosebleed seat in Auburn Arena. Thursday’s game against Georgia, which was the first home SEC opener for Pearl at Auburn, was the eighth sellout since Pearl arrived on campus.
Through Auburn’s 72 games at Auburn Arena prior, only five games sold out. The ravenous crowd did not disappoint. If Auburn was amid a respectable offensive rhythm, the roar of the fans on the defensive end was almost deafening. In the latter chapters of the contest, many fans credited the Tigers meltdown to poor officiating, and thus, the boos that echoed through the Arena were even louder than the cheering. At the time, the boos were a result of frustration. However, they revealed the newfound passion of Auburn basketball.
KING MUSTAPHA
Freshman guard Mustapha Heron also seemed to play bigger than his 6-foot-5 height would suggest. Heron hit a triple from the corner for Auburn’s first points of the night, and never looked back. He led Auburn in scoring with 19, his 13th double digit performance in as many games. Heron played extremely physical throughout, which resulted in early foul trouble. That physicality paid dividends in the second half, however. During a possession early in the final stanza, Heron blew past his defender at the three-point line and preceded to throw down a ferocious slam on two Georgia defenders. This followed back to back made three-pointers by Heron, and after the freshman tried to bite off more than he could chew by launching and missing a 30-foot well-defended jumper, just to check his hot hand. Heron couldn’t evade the same offensive panic and defensive letdown that plagued the Tigers late. Nevertheless, the freshman thrown into the fire seem to be learning and developing quick, evident in Harper’s Freshman of the Week accolades, Wiley’s raw aptitude and Heron’s scoring prowess.
Auburn will return to action on January 4, as they take on Vanderbilt in Nashville. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. CT., and the contest can be seen on the SEC Network.
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