Middle Tennessee St. @ Auburn preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 12, 2015 ) Auburn 81, Middle Tennessee St. 88

It certainly wasn't easy, but Auburn has fashioned a nice little winning streak heading into Saturday's encounter with Middle Tennessee in Birmingham, Ala. The Tigers extended their run to six games last weekend, as Bryce Brown erupted for 27 points in their narrow 85-80 triumph over UAB.

Most fans might have been OK if Auburn had ultimately fallen short against the Blazers, having to play the game without a handful of key players - including standout guard Mustapha Heron, who missed the contest with back spasms. "Mustapha's such a stabilizing force for us," Auburn coach Bruce Pearl told reporters after the game. "So many guys had to step up to be able to get this win." The Tigers will look to improve to 6-0 on their home court as they face off against a Middle Tennessee team that is also off to a sizzling start with wins in seven of its first eight games to open the campaign. Nick King's 25 points were the difference as the Blue Raiders routed Ole Miss 77-58 last time out for their fifth win in a row.

TV: 6 p.m. ET, SEC Network

ABOUT MIDDLE TENNESSEE (7-1): The most interesting part of the Blue Raiders' hot start to the season is that they haven't done any one particular thing well compared to the rest of the country. This is especially true when it comes to 3-point shooting; Middle Tennessee has converted just 30.3 percent of its attempts from beyond the arc through eight games, good for 311th out of 351 Division I teams. King has easily been the brightest spot for the Blue Raiders to date - he ranks fourth in the nation in scoring heading into the weekend (24.3 ppg) while shooting 55.5 percent from the floor.

ABOUT AUBURN (8-1): Second-chance points have been one of the hallmarks of the Tigers' elite offense to date; they've pulled down 14.1 offensive rebounds per game so far, behind only 13 other Division I schools. Brown leads the team in scoring at 17.1 points per game and needed a solid bounceback effort against UAB after managing just six points on 2-of-13 shooting in Auburn's previous win over Gardner-Webb. Heron, who ranks second on the team at 15.9 points while adding 5.3 rebounds, will be a game-time decision but is expected to practice for the first time since suffering the injury.

TIP-INS

1. Tigers F Anfernee McLemore ranks seventh in the nation in blocked shots per game (3.6).

2. Auburn ranks second in the SEC in total rebounds per contest (42.1).

3. King has scored 20 or more points in seven straight games.

PREDICTION: Auburn 84, Middle Tennessee 74