Auburn basketball picked up there second conference win of the season last night defeating South Carolina, 71-67.
The Tigers get the win off the performance of freshman forward Filip Jovic. He dropped a career high 23 points while also collecting six rebounds, two steals, and one block in 30 minutes of play. Though Jovic played well, the rest of the team continued their shooting struggles from the road loss to Missouri this past Wednesday Jan. 14.
Three-pointers were not falling for the Tigers. The team went 2-of-19 shooting the three. A piece that has been inconsistent for Auburn. Both forward Keyshawn Hall (8) and guard Tahaad Pettiford (9) did not even reach double digit scoring.
Auburn managed to get through this one closer than expected. KenPom had the Tigers as large favorites, predicting the Tigers to win 82-71. Instead, the Gamecocks kept in arms reach of the Tigers throughout the game.
Auburn is now 2-3 in SEC play with an overall record of 11-7. The Tigers head into the third week of conference play with matchups on the road against Ole Miss on Tuesday Jan. 20 and No. 19 Florida on Saturday Jan. 24. So where does Auburn rank in the latest KenPom rankings? Here is where the Tigers stack up in every major statistical category according to KenPom.
Overall No. 34
Auburn remains at No. 34. The Tigers have been hovering around the mid 30s for weeks now in KenPom‘s rankings. Their overall net rating comes in at a +19.21.
Offensive efficiency: No. 15
The Tigers tumble six spots from the previous No. 9 rank to now No. 15. Their KenPom offensive efficiency rating sits at 124.3. This places them fifth in the SEC offensive efficiency according the KenPom.
Defensive efficiency: No. 86
The improvement comes on the defensive side of the ball for the Tigers. KenPom has them at No. 86 a five position leap from No. 91 the week before. Their defensive rating is now a 105.1.
Adjusted tempo: No. 162
Auburn has really changed much all season in creating possessions. KenPom has the Tigers at No. 162 with an average of 67.9 possessions per game.
Strength of schedule: No. 4
KenPom ranks the Tigers strength of schedule at No. 4, a one spot dip from No. 3 prior. Overall score is +11.88.
Ole Miss overview
Auburn hits the road to head to Oxford, Mississippi to take on Ole Miss. The Rebels are currently 11-7 overall and 3-2 in conference. Ole Miss is looking to stay hot on a three game winning streak. Here is a look at Ole Miss according to KenPom‘s statistics.
- Overall: No. 59
- Adjusted offensive efficiency: No. 77 (116.4)
- Adjusted defensive efficiency: No. 61 (103.3)
- Adjusted tempo: No. 303 (65.2)
- Strength of schedule: No. 54 (+5.43)
- Projected winner of the game: Auburn (54%)
- Implied score: 76-75
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This article originally appeared on Auburn Wire: Auburn basketball’s KenPom ranking after beating South Carolina
