Auburn vs Jacksonville State Prediction, Game Preview (Threads Merged)

[aubiefifty 16,682]

Game time set for Auburn’s 1st round NCAA game

By Nubyjas Wilborn | nwilborn@al.com

3-4 minutes

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Auburn (27-5) will play Jacksonville State (21-10) Friday at 11:40 am CT on Tru TV in the first round of the 2022 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. It’s an early game, but the Tigers are getting big game treatment with the network using its top crew to call the game. Jim Nantz, Bill Raftery, Grant Hill will call the contest and Tracy Woolfson will report from the sidelines.

The Tigers enter the tournament as a No.2 seed in the Midwest region. Jacksonville State is seeded 15th and will play Auburn for the first time since the Tigers beat Jacksonville State in 2013 by a 78-54 score.

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Head coach Bruce Pearl acknowledged he didn’t know much about his in-state foe’s current roster. Auburn will start quickly learning about the Gamecocks before the unit arrives in South Carolina. Pearl spoke to reporters shortly after the bracket was released on Sunday evening. He did, however, discuss his familiarity with Ray Harper.

“I don’t know much about Jacksonville State, but I know their coach very well, Ray Harper. When I was the head coach at Southern Indiana he was the head coach at Kentucky Wesleyan and I think he got the best of me,” Pearl said via zoom. “I’ve always given Ray credit for that.”

Jacksonville State took a unique path to the dance. The Gamecocks didn’t win their conference tournament, won the regular-season championship with a 13-3 record that was slightly better than Liberty at 12-4. Bellarmine won the conference tourney against Jacksonville, who eliminated the Gamecocks in a conference semi-final game.

Bellarmine is in its second year of a four-year transition from Division 2 to Division 1, which makes the school ineligible for the NCAA tournament. Jacksonville State benefitted from a weird situation and is a double-digit underdog against the Tigers. Pearl isn’t taking anything for granted after the Tigers had an early exit in their own conference tournament with an upset loss against Texas A&M in the quarterfinals. He also knows that Harper will have his squad ready to accomplish a rare 15 vs 2 shocker.

“We were big rivals, recruiting rivals and they were our arch-enemy, not just our rival,” Pearl said. It was very akin to the Auburn-Alabama rivalry and it was very, very heated at times. So I would venture to say there’s probably not a team in the country that Jacksonville State would rather play than Bruce Pearl and Auburn, I’m just telling you. But congratulations to them.”

Nubyjas Wilborn covers Auburn for Alabama Media Group.

[kennypowers 1,431]

Watching JSU, I see:

Guards with good vision and above average passing skills.
Decent handles but maybe a half-step slower than our guards.
They are not afraid to hoist the three ball, and they can be streaky but inconsistent.
Their big men are ok, but their hands are below average.
They play pretty good defense.

Reminds me a little bit of playing Vanderbilt.

[Viper 3,120]

Not to put the voodoo hex on us, but here’s an immediate nugget that came to mind…

AU is a 2-seed

Jax St is a 15-seed

The last time these two played bball or fball was…

2015

Escaped disaster that day.

[aubiefifty 16,682]

What to know about Jax State, Auburn's opening-round NCAA Tournament opponent

By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com

6-7 minutes

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Jacksonville State guard/forward Kayne Henry (11) lays up a shot past Alabama guard Keon Ellis (14) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)AP

Jacksonville State may be the most unlikely opening-round matchup for Auburn in this year’s NCAA Tournament. The Gamecocks’ ticket to the Big Dance, after all, was a matter of circumstance.

The Atlantic Sun was set to be a one-bid league, with its tournament champion earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. That is, until Bellarmine made a run to the conference tournament title. The Knights, in just their second year of Division-I basketball, were ineligible for the automatic bid as part of their four-year transition period from Division II.

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That sent the conference’s automatic bid to Jacksonville State on a technicality. The Gamecocks were bounced in the semifinals of the ASUN Tournament but claimed the league’s NCAA Tournament berth because they were regular-season conference champions. Now Ray Harper’s team heads to the postseason as a 15-seed in the Midwest Region, where it will face second-seeded Auburn on Friday at 11:40 a.m. CT in Greenville, S.C.

Regardless of the circumstances of Jacksonville State’s entry into the tournament, Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is certain the Gamecocks couldn’t be more delighted to draw the Tigers in the opening round this week. Pearl and Harper are well-acquainted from their days in the Grand Lakes Valley Conference in Division II — when Pearl was at Southern Indiana and Harper at Kentucky Wesleyan. It was a fierce, Iron Bowl-esque rivalry between the two programs — both on and off the court — and one that Harper’s teams often had the advantage in.

Harper as 13-3 against Pearl’s teams between 1996-2001, with Kentucky Wesleyan eliminating Southern Indiana in the Sweet 16 of three straight Division II tournaments in 1998, 1999 (when the Panthers won the national title) and in 2000.

“I’ve always given Ray credit for that,” Pearl said. “…I would venture to say there’s probably not a team in the country that Jacksonville State would rather play than Bruce Pearl and Auburn.”

The two coaches have not crossed paths since the 2001 season, but that rivalry will be rekindled Friday in Greenville.

Here’s a look at what you need to know about Auburn’s opening-round opponent, starting with Jacksonville State’s NCAA team sheet:

Jacksonville State team sheet
NET rating	143
Average NET win	246
Average NET loss	179
Average opponent NET rank	273
Average opponent NET	223
Record (vs. Division I)	19-10
Conference record (including tournament)	14-4
Nonconference record	5-6
NET strength of schedule	291st
NET nonconference strength of schedule	188th
Quadrant 1 record	0-2 (129th)
Quadrant 2 record	1-1 (70th)
Quadrant 3 record	3-2 (124th)
Quadrant 4 record	15-5 (186th)

-- Jacksonville State enters the postseason at 21-10 overall, with two of those wins against non-DI teams. The Gamecocks went 13-3 in conference play to win the ASUN regular-season crown, and despite losing in the tournament semifinals, they’ve won five of their last six overall entering the NCAA Tournament.

--Ray Harper is in his sixth season with the program, which spent the first five of those in the Ohio Valley Conference before moving to the ASUN this season. Harper is 119-75 with the Gamecocks and has now led them to two NCAA Tournament appearances.

-- Jacksonville State is one of the best 3-point shooting teams in the country, ranking fifth nationally at 38.8 percent from deep. Only South Dakota State (44.9 percent), Colgate (40.3 percent), Virginia Tech (39.3 percent) and Purdue (39.1 percent) shoot better from distance than the Gamecocks.

-- The Gamecocks have two players who shoot better than 40 percent from deep on nearly six 3-point attempts per game. Demaree King is shooting 46.2 percent from beyond the arc and is the second-best 3-point shooter in the country this season, while Jalen Gibbs is at 40.1 percent — both on 5.9 attempts per game. Auburn is 59th nationally in 3-point defense, limiting opponents to 31.2 percent shooting from deep.

-- Jacksonville State challenges opponents to beat it from deep, too. The Gamecocks allow the 21st-most 3-point attempts in the country — with 44.9 percent of opponents’ shots coming from deep — but their opponents connect at just a 33.1 percent clip, which ranks 192nd nationally. Meanwhile, teams are shooting 47.1 percent on 2-point attempts against the Gamecocks.

-- Jacksonville State’s best win of the season was in Quadrant 2: at Liberty on Jan. 29. The Gamecocks lost both of their Quadrant 1 games this season by single digits on the road: at VCU and at Alabama (the No. 6 seed in the West Region). They also have a close Quadrant 2 loss to Wichita State on the road to open the season.

-- Jacksonville State enters the tournament ranked 146th in KenPom. The Gamecocks play at one of the slowest paces offensively in the country, with an adjusted tempo of 65.1 possessions per 40 minutes (276th nationally).

-- Its strength of schedule ranks 291st out of 358 Division-I teams, while its strength of record is 138th nationally.

Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.

[looney 794]

I didn't make it past the part about the technicality keeping Bellarmine out of the NCAA tourney despite winning their conference tourney. That blows.

[aubiefifty 16,682]

49 minutes ago, looney said:

I didn't make it past the part about the technicality keeping Bellarmine out of the NCAA tourney despite winning their conference tourney. That blows.

it still does not change the fact we are still playing them and the style they play is the style that gives us fits.and bruce has even said their coach has owned him in the past. period. and that does not tweak your interest? tough crowd..............

[aubiefifty 16,682]

Auburn vs Jacksonville State Prediction, Game Preview: NCAA Tournament First Round

By Pete Fiutak | March 15, 2022 5:43 pm CT

3-4 minutes

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John Reed-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn vs Jacksonville State Prediction, Game Preview: NCAA Tournament First Round

Auburn vs Jacksonville State: NCAA Tournament First Round prediction and college basketball game preview.

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Auburn vs Jacksonville State Game Preview, NCAA Tournament First Round How To Watch

Date: Friday, March 18
Game Time: 12:40 pm
Venue: Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, SC
How To Watch: truTV
Records: Auburn (2 seed, 27-5)
Jacksonville State (15 seed, 21-10)
Region: Midwest

– NCAA Tournament Schedule, Predictions, Game Previews

It’s actually how it should be – the regular season conference champion should be in the NCAA Tournament.

Jacksonville State got knocked off by Jacksonville in the Atlantic Sun Tournament. It’s here because Bellarmine won the conference tourney, wasn’t eligible as it’s transitioning into the Division I world.

The Gamecocks are going bring the three, they’re going to keep on firing, and they’re going to have their moments when they make things interesting.

There’s a little bit of size, but it’s mostly a quick team full of seniors who should be able to hang with the Auburn guards.

However …

– 2022 College Football Schedules: All 131 Teams

Even though Jacksonville State is loaded with veterans, there are way too many turnovers.

This group is decent at setting up the easy pass, but there’s not a whole lot happening on the inside on a consistent basis. The offense needs to come up with the extra pass and has to get to the rim when it’s not bombing away from threes.

Auburn will have no problem if Jacksonville State wants to get on the move.

This is a great-shooting Gamecock team, but it’s going against the best field goal defense in the SEC. Auburn leads the nation in blocked shots – the Gamecocks need to get to the rim – and it’s good at getting out on three, too.

But the big difference will be …

– All of the CFN Fearless Predictions

Auburn is going to destroy Jacksonville State on the boards, especially on the offensive glass.

This is good rebounding Gamecock team, but it gives up too many offensive rebounds. Just assume Auburn will get at least ten.

It’ll be a good first ten minutes for the 15 seed, and then Auburn will settle in, get on the move, and get its defensive legs back to take over with a huge run.

[kennypowers 1,431]

I think we'll turn them over a ton.  Good vision, but the big guys have poor hands.  They shoot the three very well, but have they played a top 10 defense?  Just need shots to fall for us...end of story.  If we shoot the ball well, very few can beat us.

[merrittsports 0]

Duke fan with 3 Tickets together for Session 1 of Greenville SC regional. Section 210 Row L - $150 ea. Trying to avoid all of the online fees. If interested please email me @ masonmerritt@gmail.com  venmo accepted and I'll transfer tickets directly to you