Jan. 23, 2018
#19 Auburn at Missouri
(2017-18 RECORD: 17-2, 5-1 SEC) vs. (2017-18 RECORD: 13-6, 3-3 SEC)
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| Wed, Jan 24 | 8 p.m. |
By Greg Ostendorf
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- As February approaches, there aren't many "experts" who thought Auburn would still be among the SEC leaders through the first month of conference play.
The Tigers were picked to finish in the bottom half of the SEC in the preseason, and just last month, one writer projected that Bruce Pearl's team would finish 4-14 in the league despite a near-perfect record in non-conference action. That, of course, led to the 4-14 t-shirts that were made and only added to the chip on this team's shoulder.
Well, Auburn won its fifth conference game over the weekend, and at 5-1 in the SEC, the Tigers are just a half-game back from the league leader, Florida.
However, if this team wants to remain in contention, the outcome of every game becomes that much more magnified. Like Pearl said after Saturday's game, SEC wins are precious. And Auburn will look to add another on the road at Missouri on Wednesday.
"It's a huge opportunity for us," Pearl said. "I think it's one of those games that's (important) if we're going to remain in the hunt for the conference title. Look, Florida has already beaten them there. Florida has already beaten Kentucky at Kentucky. Tennessee has got some big road wins. It's one very few people are going to get."
The challenge for Auburn on Wednesday will be putting together two strong halves.
The Tigers have started slow in the majority of their conference games this season. The good news is that they're outscoring opponents, 286-224, in the second half of those games and have scored at least 50 points in the second half of four of their six SEC games. But the players know that they can't necessarily do that every game.
"We just have to make it a focus coming into the game," sophomore forward Anfernee McLemore said. "I feel like maybe we start off games too complacent early on. So we have to come out with more intensity early on and try not to get down in the first half."
Wednesday's game is scheduled to tip off at 8 p.m. CT from Mizzou Arena. Rod Bramblett and Sonny Smith will have the radio call on 93.9 Tiger FM, online at AuburnTigers.com and on the TuneIn app. The game will also be televised on SEC Network with Tom Hart and Jon Sundvold on the call.
Player to watch: Mustapha Heron
In his second season on The Plains, Mustapha Heron has made his name well-known around the SEC and the country. Heron has had a lot of success against Missouri. In three meetings against the Tigers, Heron has averaged 17.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. The Connecticut native has shot 50 percent from the floor, 67 percent from behind the arc and 79 percent at the foul line against Missouri.
Inside the series: Missouri
Missouri holds a slight edge in the series all-time at 5-3. Auburn is in search of its second win at Missouri in the matchup after winning, 89-78, at their place last season. Five of the eight games have been decided by single digits, including three by just one possession.
Down but not out
Auburn is 5-2 this season in games in which the Tigers have trailed by at least 10 points, including 4-1 in SEC play. Prior to this season, Auburn was 4-40 in its last 44 such games.
On Saturday, Auburn trailed by as many as 16 against Georgia, but outscored the Bulldogs 55-25 in the second half to come back and win by 15. It was the largest deficit the Tigers have overcome in an SEC game since overcoming a 19-point deficit against Mississippi State on Feb. 12, 2011.
From downtown
Auburn has hit 10 3-pointers in a game nine times so far this season. Under Pearl, the Tigers have made at least 10 3s in 39 of 114 games (34.2 percent) compared to just 124 of 855 games (14.5 percent) from the creation of the 3-point shot in the college game in 1986-87 to him taking over as Auburn's head coach prior to the 2014-2015 season.
On this date
On Jan. 24, 2009, Auburn went on the road and defeated Arkansas, 73-51. In that game, Korvotney Barber snagged 18 rebounds and had 15 points, while three others reached double figures.
The Tigers hold a 12-15 record on Jan. 24 all-time with nine of those victories coming against SEC opponents.
Take a timeout
Click here to vote for Bruce Pearl and Children's Harbor in the Coaches Charity Challenge. The coach with the most votes after four rounds wins $100,000 for their charity. Each charity will receive money for every round their representative coach is voted through.
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf