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The Auburn Tigers knocked out Alabama State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Thursday, and their reward will be the Creighton Blue Jays, who upset Louisville to open March Madness play at Rupp Arena.
Despite earning the 20-point win, Auburn shot just 45% from the field and had another abysmal day at the free-throw stripe, connecting on 18-of-32 attempts. Auburn also struggled with ball handling by committing 12 turnovers, with 10 registered as steals. Associate head coach Steven Pearl was pleased with the efforts of Miles Kelly, who scored 23 points in the win. However, he called out starters Johni Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara for poor effort in the postgame radio interview with Andy Burcham on the Auburn Sports Network.
Pearl hopes his players have a different mindset when it takes the floor Saturday against Creighton.
“To come out in the NCAA Tournament with that energy and effort, that’s why we lost last year. We have to be so much friggin’ better than what we are right now," Pearl said. "If I’m Creighton, I’m licking my chops right now. I’m really excited to play us, if I’m a Creighton coach. We have a lot to figure out in the next 24-36 hours if we’re going to beat a really good team. Not good enough. Really poor.”
Before the Tigers and Blue Jays tip off on Saturday, here is a look at what each team brings to the table.
Auburn basketball is the No. 1 overall seed of this year's tournament after winning the SEC regular season and winning 16 games over quad-1 competition. Auburn won its first-round game by defeating Alabama State, 83-63 behind a 23-point performance from Miles Kelly, who connected on 7-of-15 shots from three-point territory. Offensively, Auburn failed to shoot above 45% from the field and shot just 54% from the free throw line. The Tigers did, however, out-rebound the Hornets 46-36, and got 30 points of production from their bench.
The No. 9 seed Blue Jays stunned the de-facto home team in No. 8 Louisville on Thursday, 89-75. Creighton's starters accounted for 85 of its points, led by Jamiya Neal's 29-point, 12-rebound performance. Steven Ashworth added 22 points while star Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 14 points. Creighton finished second in the Big East behind St. John's with a 25-10 overall record and 15-5 mark in conference play.
Will Auburn find motivation following Steven Pearl's fiery postgame speech? If so, this could be an ugly game for the Creighton Blue Jays. Creighton ranks below No. 32 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency in KenPom, while Auburn ranks No. 2 in offense and No. 12 in defense efficiency. The key for Auburn to be successful will be free throw shooting and bench play. Auburn will need to improve upon its 56% free throw shooting to escape with a win.
Auburn's bench scored 30 points in round one compared to Creighton's four. Bench play could give the Tigers an advantage in a close game.
Prediction: Auburn 78 Creighton 75
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn vs Creighton prediction, pick for March Madness second round
Continue reading...
Despite earning the 20-point win, Auburn shot just 45% from the field and had another abysmal day at the free-throw stripe, connecting on 18-of-32 attempts. Auburn also struggled with ball handling by committing 12 turnovers, with 10 registered as steals. Associate head coach Steven Pearl was pleased with the efforts of Miles Kelly, who scored 23 points in the win. However, he called out starters Johni Broome and Chad Baker-Mazara for poor effort in the postgame radio interview with Andy Burcham on the Auburn Sports Network.
Pearl hopes his players have a different mindset when it takes the floor Saturday against Creighton.
“To come out in the NCAA Tournament with that energy and effort, that’s why we lost last year. We have to be so much friggin’ better than what we are right now," Pearl said. "If I’m Creighton, I’m licking my chops right now. I’m really excited to play us, if I’m a Creighton coach. We have a lot to figure out in the next 24-36 hours if we’re going to beat a really good team. Not good enough. Really poor.”
Before the Tigers and Blue Jays tip off on Saturday, here is a look at what each team brings to the table.
How the Auburn Tigers got here
Auburn basketball is the No. 1 overall seed of this year's tournament after winning the SEC regular season and winning 16 games over quad-1 competition. Auburn won its first-round game by defeating Alabama State, 83-63 behind a 23-point performance from Miles Kelly, who connected on 7-of-15 shots from three-point territory. Offensively, Auburn failed to shoot above 45% from the field and shot just 54% from the free throw line. The Tigers did, however, out-rebound the Hornets 46-36, and got 30 points of production from their bench.
How the Creighton Blue Jays got here
The No. 9 seed Blue Jays stunned the de-facto home team in No. 8 Louisville on Thursday, 89-75. Creighton's starters accounted for 85 of its points, led by Jamiya Neal's 29-point, 12-rebound performance. Steven Ashworth added 22 points while star Ryan Kalkbrenner scored 14 points. Creighton finished second in the Big East behind St. John's with a 25-10 overall record and 15-5 mark in conference play.
Auburn vs. Creighton prediction
Will Auburn find motivation following Steven Pearl's fiery postgame speech? If so, this could be an ugly game for the Creighton Blue Jays. Creighton ranks below No. 32 in both adjusted offensive and defensive efficiency in KenPom, while Auburn ranks No. 2 in offense and No. 12 in defense efficiency. The key for Auburn to be successful will be free throw shooting and bench play. Auburn will need to improve upon its 56% free throw shooting to escape with a win.
Auburn's bench scored 30 points in round one compared to Creighton's four. Bench play could give the Tigers an advantage in a close game.
Prediction: Auburn 78 Creighton 75
This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn vs Creighton prediction, pick for March Madness second round
Continue reading...
