No. 18 Auburn aims to stay sharp vs. Nebraska

For the final time in advance of the get started of Southeastern Convention play, No. 18 Auburn will have an possibility to just take on an opponent in a Electricity Five convention.

The Tigers (seven-one) have four more online games in advance of their SEC opener versus LSU on Dec. 29, but a few of them will be compared to opponents in mid-significant conferences. That leaves Saturday’s game versus Nebraska at Atlanta as a check versus a Major Ten opponent as the stop of the nonconference plan draws close to.

Auburn scored 17 of the initially 22 points Saturday en route to an 86-64 victory over Yale at residence. K.D. Johnson led all scorers with 19 points, although Jabari Smith additional 17 for the Tigers.

“Excellent game,” Auburn head mentor Bruce Pearl reported. “(We) went difficult, protection was fantastic, the depth continues to be a favourable for us.”

Smith, in specific, has been a standout participant for Pearl so significantly this period. He is averaging staff-top totals in points (16.nine) and rebounds (seven.one).

“I set that self esteem in me,” Smith reported. “I’ve set in the do the job over the many years with my teammates, my trainers and my father.”

Although Auburn even now is ready to get into the meat of its plan with convention play, Saturday’s opponent has already been knocked around early this period.

Nebraska (5-5) already is -2 in Major Ten play immediately after dropping a sixty eight-fifty five decision at Indiana very last Saturday and a 102-sixty seven setback to Michigan a few days later on. The reduction to the Wolverines was a significantly hideous one particular, in accordance to Nebraska head mentor Fred Hoiberg.

“I’ve in no way been a section of one particular like this in which we just quit competing,” Hoiberg reported. “(We) skipped shots early, and it impacted our strength all over the ground.”

“(We played) a game very last 7 days (and one particular) a pair days ago in Indiana in which the shots ended up not falling in, but person we competed, and guarded, and rebounded and followed the game system. (Against Michigan) we ended up entirely out of it. It really is uncomfortable, it is humiliating, and we have got to uncover a way to deal with it.”

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Hoiberg’s staff shot just 31.nine % from the subject and 14.3 % from 3-point variety. On the flip aspect, Nebraska observed five Michigan players to attain double figures in scoring.

People capturing struggles for the Cornhuskers could pose significant difficulties versus an Auburn staff playing good protection early in the period. The Tigers only have let an opponent eclipsed 70 points on one particular event this period, a double-additional time reduction versus UConn on Nov. 24.

Auburn has prioritized receiving in passing lanes and building strain, which include very last Saturday’s game in which it forced a dozen turnovers and only yielded eleven assists versus Yale.

“The protection was fantastic,” Pearl reported. “The simple fact that they shot 32 %, we blocked a whole lot of shots, it was fantastic. We pressed up on them, forced them to go to the rim, and which is what they did. We’ve got a whole lot of items to do the job on, a whole lot of items to get far better on.”

The Cornhuskers also have their do the job slash out for them.

“No one is heading to experience sorry for us,” Hoiberg reported immediately after the reduction to Michigan. “We’ve got to bounce again with two energetic days and set this one particular behind us.”

–Discipline Level Media