Auburn will close out its time in The Bahamas with a chance to lock up fifth place in the 2021 Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament when it faces Syracuse later today at 3:30 p.m. CST.
The game marks the second all-time meeting between the two schools, the first being a 2003 Sweet 16 game in the NCAA Tournament. Syracuse outlasted Auburn 79-78 in a close one to advance to the Elite 8.
While the stakes are lower this go around, this is still an important match-up for both teams. It’s an opportunity to play on a neutral court in a tournament, bringing experience that will be beneficial if either team is to make the NCAA Tournament in March.
Auburn’s coming off of a bounce-back win over Loyola Chicago following its heartbreaking double-overtime loss to UConn the day prior.
Syracuse defeated Arizona State 92-84 on Thursday to advance in the loser’s bracket to face Auburn.
There’s no lack of coaching success on either bench, as both head coaches are two of 41 active coaches among all divisions of college basketball with 600 or more career victories. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl joined that list in the season finale last year and has 604 career victories, while Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim is inching closer to the 1,000-win mark with 985 career victories.
If the Orange were to win, it gives them a needed resume booster after dropping games to Colgate and VCU both by double digits. A win for Auburn could magnify its confidence before it faces unbeaten UCF team, which faces Oklahoma on Saturday, inside Auburn Arena next week.
Auburn center Walker Kessler will be a key player to watch for on Friday, coming off of some of the best games of his career. He’s recorded two straight double-doubles in the Battle 4 Atlantis, while also leading Auburn in blocks.
Kessler won’t be the only one to keep an eye on against Syracuse for Auburn. Freshman Jabari Smith and sophomore K.D. Johnson are both averaging over 15 points per game following the game against Loyola Chicago.
Smith was Auburn’s leading scorer against Loyola, recording 14 points in the win. And while Johnson didn’t have his best game offensively, scoring only seven points, his presence was felt once more on the defensive floor. After recording five steals against UConn, Johnson had another team-leading performance with four steals against Loyola.
Syracuse is led by Boeheim’s son, Buddy, who averages 20.6 points per game.
The two teams are fairly even when it comes to scoring offense, with Auburn averaging 79.8 points per game and Syracuse averaging 80.8 points per game. The Tigers are a little bit better on the defensive side of the ball than the Orange, keeping opponents under an average of 70 points per game.
The game will tip-off at 3:30 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on ESPN2.
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Originally from Helena, Ala., Caleb Jones is a senior studying journalism at Auburn University. He has been on staff with The Plainsman since 2019.
You can follow him here on Twitter: @calebjsports
