Mississippi @ Auburn preview
Auburn Arena
Last Meeting ( Jan 6, 2021 ) Auburn 61, Mississippi 72
Ole Miss visits Auburn on Saturday in search of a season sweep of the host Tigers.
Auburn (10-9, 4-6 SEC) aims to avoid a three-game losing streak, coming off of a midseason nonconference loss to No. 2-ranked Baylor on Jan. 30 and a 91-86 home loss to Georgia on Tuesday.
"Georgia outplayed us. We didn't lose. They outplayed us," Tigers coach Bruce Pearl said in his postgame press conference. "The thing I talked about after the Baylor game was, if we didn't make a few adjustments, this was going to continue. We didn't make those adjustments."
Auburn, which has dropped its past three games, already endured a four-game losing skid earlier in the campaign, a stretch that included a 72-61 loss at Ole Miss on Jan. 6.
Auburn won't be going to the NCAA Tournament because it self-imposed a postseason ban this season as part of an investigation into bribery charges brought against former assistant coach Chuck Person.
The first meeting in Oxford, Miss., fit the Rebels' typical roadmap to wins in 2020-21.
Ole Miss (9-8, 4-6), one of the nation's most highly rated defenses in KenPom.com adjusted efficiency, is 9-0 when holding opponents under 65 points.
The Rebels thrive when generating turnovers, making steals on 12.3 percent of defensive possessions. Luis Rodriguez, who is averaging 1.8 steals per game, made two on a night when Ole Miss forced Auburn into 16 turnovers.
The Tigers have played a much different style, pushing the tempo and scoring 78.8 points per game. Allen Flanigan comes into Saturday's matchup shooting almost 60 percent from inside the 3-point line, and at 13.9 points per game is one of three currently available Tigers averaging in double-figures scoring.
Auburn lost proficient 3-point shooter Justin Powell to injury in early January, just before the visit to Ole Miss. Shortly after the loss to the Rebels, electric offensive weapon Sharife Cooper gained eligibility.
Cooper, who arrived on campus as a five-star freshman, is scoring 21 points and dishing 8.3 assists per game.
Although Auburn can score effectively, forcing the tempo on Saturday may not be enough on its own. The Tigers are giving up 75.7 points per game, and each of its last four opponents have scored at least 84 points.
Ole Miss brings an effective inside-out scoring combo to Auburn, with guard Devontae Shuler averaging 14.9 points per game and forward Romello White (10 points) shooting almost 65 percent from the floor.
--Field Level Media