AUBURN, Ala. – In the first regional game for the Legends Classic, No. 22 Auburn cruised to a 116-70 home victory over CSUN on Friday. Don't expect the same type of route when the Tigers host Colgate on Monday night in the second regional game.
This is a Colgate team that returns its top five scorers from a team that won the Patriot League a year ago and made the NCAA Tournament.
"The biggest thing I've been emphasizing is 'Guys, this is an opportunity to get one against the (NCAA) field,'" Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl said. "Colgate is going to win the Patriot League. They were an NCAA Tournament team from a year ago. They gave Tennessee all they wanted in their opening-round game (last year), losing by seven. They have already played at Clemson and Syracuse, a couple of close losses.
"We shot it extremely well on Friday night, but we weren't defended. This team will defend us. It's going to be a great opportunity for us. We're going to get exposed for sure."
Monday's game is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. CT from Auburn Arena. Andy Burcham 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 Roy Philpott and Mark Wise on the call.
Player to watch: Jamal Johnson
In his first season on the court since transferring from Memphis, Jamal Johnson has made a big impact for Auburn. The redshirt sophomore is fifth on the team in scoring at 7.8 points per game and is shooting 58.3 percent from beyond the arc. Over the last two games, Johnson is averaging 11 points per contest while shooting at a 60 percent clip, including 67 percent from downtown.
Inside the series: Colgate
The Tigers and Raiders are set to meet for the first time in series history Monday night inside Auburn Arena. Auburn is 5-1 all-time against members of the currently-constructed Patriot League and has won its last five dating back to 1974.
Not your average freshman
Freshman Isaac Okoro is second on the team in scoring, averaging 15.3 points per game. He has reached double figures in all four games and is just the third freshman since 1998 to score at least 10 points in his first four collegiate games. Teammate Danjel Purifoy also accomplished the feat as a freshman in 2016.
4-0 once again
Auburn is off to a 4-0 start to open the season for the second consecutive campaign. The last time the Tigers started 4-0 in back-to-back seasons was 1987-88 and 1988-89, coached by current radio analyst Sonny Smith.