Tigers should be motivated for Ole Miss

[GwillMac6 20,607]

 

[GwillMac6 20,607]

ByMARK MURPHY 78 minutes ago

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AUBURN, Alabama--After being swept in last season’s home-and-home series vs. Ole Miss, the 2019-20 Auburn basketball Tigers will try to find the right formula for defeating the Rebels on Tuesday at Oxford.

Tipoff for the game is set for shortly after 8 p.m. CST and the contest will be televised on ESPU.

Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said he believes his veteran players will be motivated to play well against the Rebels, who have gotten off to a slow start in league play. Ole Mis, which is 10-9 overall, is 1-5 in the SEC after winning 80-70 at Georgia on Saturday.

“I think it matters to our veterans to be able to do things that last year’s team couldn’t do because that is a high bar that was set,” Pearl said.

“Those guys, many of them, were in supporting roles, not starting roles, so as they are trying to make to make their own history. I think that is why getting off to the 15-0 start, or being 17-2 right now or having a chance to beat Ole Miss when we couldn’t a year ago--I actually do think that affects our guys. They are about trying to make history and representing Auburn basketball.

“The losses to Ole Miss last year were difficult,” Pearl added. “Yeah, I think they are motivated. Motivation alone is not going to get it done though.”

Last season Auburn arrived at Ole Miss for the league opener as the defending SEC regular season champion. That didn’t impress the Rebels, who put an 82-68 whipping on the Tigers led by Terence Davis, who is playing  for the Toronto Raptors this season. He posted a double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds.

More surprising is that Auburn lost the rematch, 60-55, at Auburn Arena in February. Davis was held to eight points and four points in that game, but All-SEC guard Breein Tyree scored 20 to lead the Rebels and is back for his senior season as the SEC’s leading scorer at 18.9 points per contest.

Pearl said that Ole Miss coach Kermit Davis does a good job preparing his team’s defense to go against what Auburn likes to do offensively.

 

“I have played Kermit 10 times now in my career, and he probably knows what we do as well as anybody, so I think they do a good job of scouting us.

“They will play man, they’ll play 1-3-1, they’ll play 2-3--they’ll mix it up so that’s always effective,” Pearl said. “They do a good job of valuing the possessions. That’s something we need to continue to improve on.

“In other words, when you play fast and you push the break, we’re going to get some things in transition, but when the break is not there and they’ve got three, four, even five guys back, our point guards have got to say, ‘You know, we don’t have advantage here. We don’t have numbers here. Let’s run something.’

“I think, in some ways, given the fact that we are not quite as reliant on the three-point shot as we were a year ago, we have a little bit more balance offensively. I know the numbers don't speak to that because we have been inconsistent shooting it, and we have not been terrifically efficient, and we miss some terrific offensive players from a year ago, but we’ve got a little bit more balance, maybe. Maybe we can build on that.”

[GwillMac6 20,607]

 

[AUMASTERS 555]

1 hour ago, GwillMac6 said:

 

I thought you were talking about Kermit the Frog; I thought you were mad cause he stole miss Piggy from you.

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

We better beat those sorry ass rebs. I have to work tomorrow night, otherwise I’d probably be there. 

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

The tossing up lucky threes at the end of shotclock last year at home still makes me sick. 

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

This is a game we should win. Ole Miss has a couple good players, but is not a good team. They don't play with much pace and don't shoot a high percentage, that leads to low outputs and they don't' defend very well, and that leads to losses. They do have the league's leading scorer but that's about it. They don't rebound well, they turn it over more than we do, they foul a lot, they are only in the top 100 in a few statistics and their best stat assists per field goal made, is one of our strongest defensive areas. Bottom line the only way we lose this game is if we play flat. 

Ole Miss got us last year by varying defenses between zone and man, multiple types of zones and we didn't adjust. I think we have some good zone overload stuff that will help us and we will continue to see Okoro getting to the high post, elbows to get in side the zone. We seem to have found our edge again and I hope we continue to play with it. My only concern is will we be looking to Saturday. Also worried we may try to force feed Wiley with them in zone which may lead to turnovers. 

Need to continue to play fast and free. May see more Johnson with moving Okoro down to the 4 with Cambridge at the 3. 

War Eagle!

[tigeraddikt 1,590]

1 hour ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

The tossing up lucky threes at the end of shotclock last year at home still makes me sick. 

Oh my lawd you done peeled a bandaid off that scab. That was unreal. Happened all game long.

[fredst 9,064]

I will be there. I hope I am not bad luck😒

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

2 hours ago, fredst said:

I will be there. I hope I am not bad luck😒

I didn’t go out of my way to switch shifts of anything because of this. I really am doomed to witness an AU loss in any sport if I’m present. 

[GwillMac6 20,607]

2 hours ago, fredst said:

I will be there. I hope I am not bad luck😒

WELL lets review the history. How has AU usually performed with you in attendance?! lol

[ShocksMyBrain 9,362]

14 minutes ago, GwillMac6 said:

WELL lets review the history. How has AU usually performed with you in attendance?! lol

I won’t speak for Fred, but I’ve recently seen the AU loss in the 2013/14 BCSNCG, AU loss to Arkansas baseball in Fayetteville 2019, and AU loss to Ole Piss at Oxford 2019. I won’t go to Baton Rouge(ever again), but apparently every Auburn fan that ever goes into that godforsaken place has the crudfungus for the past 20 years. My dad’s record is even worse seeing AU at away games. 😕
 

My record seeing AU at home and on my couch is much more favorable. 
 

I will say, that the rebelsharkbears new basketball arena is nice. That’s all I will give them. **** Kermit. 
 

P.S. Will Wade can eat it too. Just because. 

[GwillMac6 20,607]

37 minutes ago, ShocksMyBrain said:

I won’t speak for Fred, but I’ve recently seen the AU loss in the 2013/14 BCSNCG, AU loss to Arkansas baseball in Fayetteville 2019, and AU loss to Ole Piss at Oxford 2019. I won’t go to Baton Rouge(ever again), but apparently every Auburn fan that ever goes into that godforsaken place has the crudfungus for the past 20 years. My dad’s record is even worse seeing AU at away games. 😕
 

My record seeing AU at home and on my couch is much more favorable. 
 

I will say, that the rebelsharkbears new basketball arena is nice. That’s all I will give them. **** Kermit. 
 

P.S. Will Wade can eat it too. Just because. 

GREAT PROMO!!! You have great future career prospects in pro wrasslin! lmao.

[AUGoo 2,659]

 

 

[boisnumber1 2,818]

[fredst 9,064]

12 hours ago, GwillMac6 said:

WELL lets review the history. How has AU usually performed with you in attendance?! lol

It’s been a 50/50 proposition. Have been there for some great wins in football( 1989 UF and UA, 1994 LSU) and some terrible losses (2002 UGA, 2007 Arky). If we lose I’ll take the blame

[AU64 10,122]

A winnable road game.....not too many of those on the schedule.....need to steal this one some way and get out of town with a W. 

[gravejd 3,269]

12 hours ago, JwgreDeux said:

This is a game we should win. Ole Miss has a couple good players, but is not a good team. They don't play with much pace and don't shoot a high percentage, that leads to low outputs and they don't' defend very well, and that leads to losses. They do have the league's leading scorer but that's about it. They don't rebound well, they turn it over more than we do, they foul a lot, they are only in the top 100 in a few statistics and their best stat assists per field goal made, is one of our strongest defensive areas. Bottom line the only way we lose this game is if we play flat. 

Ole Miss got us last year by varying defenses between zone and man, multiple types of zones and we didn't adjust. I think we have some good zone overload stuff that will help us and we will continue to see Okoro getting to the high post, elbows to get in side the zone. We seem to have found our edge again and I hope we continue to play with it. My only concern is will we be looking to Saturday. Also worried we may try to force feed Wiley with them in zone which may lead to turnovers. 

Need to continue to play fast and free. May see more Johnson with moving Okoro down to the 4 with Cambridge at the 3. 

War Eagle!

Another one of those 2-20 3 pt shooting nights would give ol miss an excellent chance at the win. Hope to see much better shooting percentages then our last couple road games

[Tiger 8,817]

I'm anticipating the zone giving us problems tonight and I'm still mad at having to watch that garbage grind it out style of play from Ole Miss last year. Teams that try to play as little basketball as possible for 40 minutes are disrespecting the game lol

[abw0004 10,108]

[Win4AU 4,052]

Can’t be worse than what Auburn did at Bama and Florida....... or can it?  Dundun dunnnnnnn

[JwgreDeux 1,279]

4 hours ago, gravejd said:

Another one of those 2-20 3 pt shooting nights would give ol miss an excellent chance at the win. Hope to see much better shooting percentages then our last couple road games

 

22 minutes ago, Win4AU said:

Can’t be worse than what Auburn did at Bama and Florida....... or can it?  Dundun dunnnnnnn

Any preview or prediction comes with the understood caveat that if we miss every shot we will lose. My point basically is that is what it will take in this one, for us to lay an egg. They just don't shoot it well or defend well. Bama has been a high scoring team all season and UF plays pretty good defense.

 

We would have to play well below average and Ole Miss play well above average. Still a road win is not easy, so I hope our guys are dialed in mentally. 

[gr82be 14,402]

Had a chance to go tonight but declined due to weeknight tip off time. Would be at least 11:30 getting home and we both have to get up too early for work. Wish it had been and earlier tip. Road games make me nervous and then add to it this team is notoriously a slow starter. I just hope we win even if it's ugly. 

[GwillMac6 20,607]

2 hours ago, Win4AU said:

Can’t be worse than what Auburn did at Bama and Florida....... or can it?  Dundun dunnnnnnn

Any time a college basketball team goes on the road in conference play or just the road in general you just have to throw out all the stats they have occurred for recent home games and honestly the whole season of home games. Cambridge going off for 26 AT HOME a week ago against South Carolina? Not a chance in hell that happens on the road. Us scoring at least 80 points in every home conference game? Not going to happen on the road. Us building off making 10 threes against Iowa State? Sorry. Chances are bleak that happens on the road. The road is unforgiving. The road makes good teams look terrible. See us during hell week which was at bama and at florida.

This is one of the last steps in the maturation and education of the football only fans who are just casual basketball fans that me and @Tiger always talk about. They cannot comprehend how we can look so good at home one game and then just a few days later look so terrible on the road. THAT IS COLLEGE BASKETBALL IN A NUTSHELL!!! It is what it is and it always has been. Even last year. Our best team ever we still lost a lot on the road in conference play. You just got to accept it as a fan and learn that we just have to take care of business at home and STEAL some games on the road when you have opportunities. 

Tonight is one of those opportunities. This and Mizzou are 2 of the road games WE MUST get. Those are our best 2 chances at stealing road games on paper. I would love for us to get off to a hot start but we do not even do that at home most of the time. So we just have to weather that energy and fire and big run that ole miss will probaly come out with out of the gate and hopefully we reel them back in and just grind this one out in a ugly "defensive" game. AND FOR THE LOVE OF GOD PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE can we get some breaks?!??! No back breaking end of shot clock makes by ole miss!!!!!! time after time after time!!! Like other posters have said on here I am STILL reeling from that from last season!!!! lol.

[Viper 3,120]

9 hours ago, Tiger said:

Teams that try to play as little basketball as possible for 40 minutes are disrespecting the game lol