Now that Auburn basketball's got a couple of wins, spirits are high

[jbcarol]

Prepares to face the team that started Auburn's 4-game losing streak

Auburn basketball has grown a lot since the SEC season opener.

5:29 PM · Jan 19, 2021

Bruce Pearl is joking again. He's smiling again. Winning will do that to you.

Auburn basketball went into the season fully aware that this was going to be a developmental year, considering it has the youngest team in the nation and graduated 84 percent of its scoring from last season. Even with that knowledge, losing four straight SEC games was tiring.

"Losing takes its toll," Pearl said.

But now that Auburn has back-to-back wins — against rival Georgia and blue-blood Kentucky — spirits are up, just in time for the Tigers (8-6, 2-4) to face the team that defeated them in the first of their four straight losses, at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.

Auburn shot an impressive 52 percent from the field and made 15 three-pointers. But the Tigers "wasted" those 15 three-pointers with the 19 turnovers that led to 27 points.

Now, the Tigers have to hop a plane to play on their own turf where they are 9-1.

Pearl: "We're not going to hit 15 3′s. Wanna make a bet?"

Since the two teams played their conference opener against each other, SEC play has gone as poorly as it has for Auburn. They, too, have lost four games. They, too, beat Georgia, as one of their only wins.

But Pearl pointed out that three of the losses are to the top three teams in the conference — Alabama, LSU and Tennessee — and all of them were played on the road. And two are to AP Top-25 teams, No. 9 Tennessee and No. 12 Missouri. The loss to Tennessee was a five-point game.

"I still think they is an NCAA tournament team," Pearl said. "I still think they're a team that will finish in the top six in our league. They probably played the toughest schedule in our league so far."

If Auburn can beat them, Pearl thinks it will be the team's best win. And just as they have probably grown from playing strong opponents, Auburn is not the same team it was when it dropped that first game — or at least Pearl hopes it's not.

Pearl would hope that his players are better defenders now, especially since they put up 97 points last time. They scored 27 points in transition, and they drew fouls when the Tigers tried to stop them, shooting 31 foul shots.

Since then, Auburn has allowed just one opponent, SEC leader Alabama, to score more than 77 points on it. Allen Flanigan has been the team's most dependable defender, but several other players have stepped up, like JT Thor. Jaylin Williams and Devan Cambridge also burst onto the scene with five blocks apiece against Georgia.

The most obvious change the Tigers have had since that Dec. 30 game is the addition of Sharife Cooper to the lineup. Not only has the freshman point guard averaged 22 points per game, but he's also changed the entire offense with his ability to find open players and create opportunities. Cooper's return has helped offset the loss of Justin Powell, who remains day-to-day after suffering a concussion in the Texas A&M game.

Things have been moving in a positive trend since Cooper's return.

[SeldomHere]

Who knew a 5 star player getting eligible would be a difference maker.

[jbcarol]

Sharife Cooper has quickly become appointment television
Auburn (8-6) isn't eligible for the postseason because of a self-imposed ban, but the Tigers are still a squad that needs to be sampled each time they play because of Cooper. 6-1 freshman has completely changed the landscape of Auburn's team and the SEC, averaging 21.7 points, 9.7 assists, four rebounds, and two steals in his first three games since being ruled eligible by the NCAA. Prior to his arrival, the rest of the Tigers' supporting cast looked feisty, but at times pedestrian. Those same pieces now look capable because of Cooper. Seasoned, skilled, yet gifted beyond his years, Cooper makes plays that others can't and sees things that don't appear to be visible. This kid looks like the craftiest point guard that college basketball has had since Kyrie Irving's brief tenure at Duke during the 10-11 season. Cooper and Auburn will look to continue their momentum tonight on the road.

[jbcarol]

https://twitter.com/JFergusonAU/status/1352107137196040199

Box Score

[jbcarol]

Auburn falters in 2nd half of road loss to Arkansas

Sharife Cooper burst off a high screen at the top of the key and charged toward the basket, contorting his body and absorbing contact as he attempted to finish a potential go-ahead layup with 5 seconds to play at Bud Walton Arena.

The ball caromed out of the basket, and no whistle was called despite a fair amount of contact, as Arkansas secured the defensive rebound. Arkansas split a pair of free throws with 2.4 seconds to play, and Allen Flanigan's deep 3-point heave fell short at the buzzer as Auburn couldn't complete a last-ditch rally effort late Wednesday night in Fayetteville, Ark..(sic)

Tigers fell, 75-73, on a night they saw a 19-point first-half advantage evaporate on the road, and Bruce Pearl's team squandered an opportunity for its most impressive win of the season.

"Disappointing loss," Pearl said. "Kind of let one get away. Great first 16 minutes of basketball on the road. Played really well at both ends. Last three or four minutes of the first half we kind of took our foot off the gas and gave Arkansas some confidence, and they just kept that through the halftime."