Furman @ Auburn preview

Last Meeting ( Dec 15, 2012 ) Furman 50, Auburn 64

No. 13 Auburn won 12 in a row last season to reach the Final Four and the Tigers have continued that momentum to take the first seven games of 2019-20 as they prepare to host Furman for a non-conference contest Thursday. Auburn has yet to face a Power 5 conference team, but knocked Richmond from the unbeaten ranks on Nov. 26 to win the Legend Classic at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. for its first in-season tournament title since 2004.

“Our guys came to Auburn to make history,” Tigers coach Bruce Pearl told reporters after the 79-65 victory over the Spiders in which his team led by just one at halftime. “That was important to our team.” Senior center Austin Wiley was named MVP of the tournament and SEC Player of the Week after recording a double-double against New Mexico (14 points, 13 rebounds) in the semifinal before scoring 18 with eight boards in the final - connecting on 12-of-15 shots from the field and blocking three shots in the two games. Auburn, which is averaging 85.6 points and shooting 48.4 percent from the field, will be well-rested to take on an experienced Furman team that won 25 games in 2018-19 and was picked third in the preseason Southern Conference poll. The Paladins have won seven of nine to start the season, losing at Alabama 81-73 on Nov. 19 and falling at South Florida 65-55 on Monday after shooting 35.7 percent from the field.

TV: 9 p.m. ET, SEC Network

ABOUT FURMAN (7-2): Senior guard Jordan Lyons leads the team in scoring (14.8), but is coming off his worst game of the season at USF when he managed just four points on 2-of-12 shooting from the floor. Clay Mounce boasts back-to-back double-doubles after scoring 14 with 12 boards against the Bulls on Monday to earn Southern Conference Player of the Week honors, and the junior forward averages 14.4 points along with a team-high 6.8 rebounds while shooting 53.3 percent from the field. Sophomore forward Noah Gurley led the way with 19 points versus USF to push his season average to 13.4 and sophomore Mike Bothwell chips in with 9.8 per game.

ABOUT AUBURN (7-0): Pearl said he was thrilled for Wiley after he won MVP of the tournament but that title could have easily gone to senior guard Samir Doughty, who scored 41 points combined and drained seven 3-pointers in Brooklyn. Doughty tops the team in scoring overall (19.3) and is shooting 45.2 percent from beyond the arc while freshman forward Isaac Okoro adds 13.3 points per game on 60.9 percent shooting from the field. Senior forward Danjel Purifoy scored 13 versus Richmond to push his season average to 11.0 and Wiley contributes 10.7 points on 69.4 percent shooting from the field and a team-best 8.6 rebounds per contest.

TIP-INS

1. Auburn senior G J’Von McCormick leads the team in assists (6.7), but connected on just 5-of-23 shots in the Legends Classic.

2. Furman junior G Alex Hunter averages 9.3 points - 11.0 in the last four games - along with a team-high 3.3 assists.

3. The Tigers have won four of the five previous meetings, including a 64-50 triumph in the last matchup in 2012.

PREDICTION: Auburn 84, Furman 70