AUBURN, Ala. – No. 2 Auburn’s robust non-conference schedule resumes Saturday when the Tigers travel to Atlanta for their annual Holiday Hoopsgiving appearance.
After defeating Indiana last season at an NBA venue in State Farm Arena, Auburn takes on another Big Ten opponent Saturday, the Ohio State Buckeyes.
“One of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country,” said Auburn coach Bruce Pearl. “We’re going to have to extend defensively. We have a slight advantage inside in size.”
Saturday’s showdown marks Auburn’s fifth appearance in this event, with wins over the Hoosiers, Nebraska and Memphis, along with a loss to Memphis.
“We’ve had great, great crowds,” Pearl said. “I encourage our fans to go to Atlanta and watch us play on Saturday.”
No stranger to SEC opponents, Ohio State opened its season with a win over Texas in Las Vegas, then lost to Texas A&M in College Station, Texas.
“Their KenPom is 20, so this is a top-20 opponent for us,” Pearl said.
The Ohio State game will be a homecoming for Auburn guard Miles Kelly, who was born in Stone Mountain, Georgia, and who played three seasons at Georgia Tech, where the Yellow Jackets heavily depended on him to score.
“He’s able to work harder offensively because he’s playing fewer minutes because he’s on a better team with greater depth,” Pearl said. “It starts with senior leadership. It starts with guys not worrying about their numbers, just worry about the score.”
Auburn should be well rested after taking Monday off and practicing shorter than normal on Tuesday and Wednesday because of final exams.
“Our defense has been really good with the exception of the Duke game,” Pearl said. “We didn’t bother Duke with our defense, and we’ve been able to bother every other opponent.
“As long as the guys continue to play hard and play unselfishly, especially with the guards – it’s not going to be the same guy every night – and that’s what makes us a good team.”
Looking to improve to 5-0 at neutral site games this season, Auburn (8-1) tips off at noon CT Saturday against Ohio State (6-3) at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on ESPN2. Andy Burcham and Randall Dickey will bring the action to listeners on the Auburn Sports Network.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer