No. 2 Auburn will play Georgia State at Neville Arena on Tuesday after a 91-53 victory over the Ohio State Buckeyes in Atlanta.
Following their dominant victory over Ohio State on Saturday, the Tigers remain steady at No. 2 in this week’s AP Poll, trailing only SEC rival Tennessee at No. 1. Auburn leads the nation in Quad 1 wins with five through its first ten games.
“We just honestly take it one game at a time,” said Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl. “We're not reflecting on where we are right now, we are working on areas that we think we have to get better. To play the caliber of schedule that we played, and be in a position we're in right now is certain, everything I could have hoped for.”
Auburn remains perfect at home with a 4-0 record, while Georgia State has struggled on the road, going 0-3. Overall, the Panthers are 4-6 losses to SEC teams Kentucky and Mississippi State.
Georgia State boasts a veteran roster with five key returners from the 2023-24 season, including Toneari Lane, Malik Ferguson, DK Dut, Brevyn Coleman and Aaron Oh. Forward Zarique Nutter leads the team, averaging 17.9 points per game, followed by Lane 17.9 ppg, 3.1 rebounds per game and 10 assists. Lane ranks third in the Sun Belt for 3-pointers per game (3.0) and sits fifth nationally in points per game.
“Georgia State is a talented team, very well coached team. They play really, really hard. They've got sort of an SEC athlete caliber group of starters,” Pearl said. “They got great size, and they got a really good inside game. They got two posts, their power forward is averaging a double double, and their center is probably an even better scorer.”
Four players on the Panthers' roster are averaging double-digit points, with senior forward Nick McMullen leading the way. He is nearly averaging a double-double, contributing 10.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game, and currently sits 14th in the nation for rebounding.
The Auburn frontcourt is well prepared for the challenge with Johni Broome, Dylan Cardwell and Chaney Johnson at the helm. Broome was named co-SEC Player of the Week after recording a 20-point, 20-rebound game. Broome’s performance against Ohio State also made him the first NCAA Division I player in 25 years to record at least 20 points, 20 rebounds, and five assists without a turnover in the same game.
Johnson is averaging 9.1 points and 5.8 rebounds per game, while Cardwell contributes 5.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game. Cardwell posted a strong performance against the Buckeyes, recording 10 points, eight rebounds and four blocks.
“Dylan, he could be the defensive player of the year if this team keeps winning because he blocks shots, plays one on one, on the post, can guard one through five, just like Johni, and gives us great, great flexibility and physicality at his position,” Pearl said.
It's the ninth all-time matchup between Auburn and Georgia State, with the Tigers leading the series 7-1. The last time the teams faced off, Auburn secured a 72-64 win on Dec. 14, 2022 at Neville Arena.
Tipoff for Tuesday’s game is at 7:00 p.m. CST and will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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Grace Heim is a senior from Enterprise, Alabama, majoring in Political Science. She started with The Plainsman in January of 2023.
You can follow her on X (Twitter) at @graceeheim
