11/27/22 Articles

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Tigers expect test from Billikens, talented point guard

Mark Murphy

5–6 minutes

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Jaylin Williams getting ready to go up over the defense for a lefty hook and two points. (Photo: Jason Caldwell/Auburn247, 247Sports)

AUBURN, Alabama–Facing a rematch on Sunday vs. Saint Louis means a rematch with one of college basketball’s top point guards, 6-0, 190 junior Yuri Collins. Auburn will play host to the 5-1 Billikens at 2 p.m. CST at Neville Arena in a matchup that will be televised on the SEC Network.

“This will be, by far, our biggest test in so many,” Coach Bruce Pearl said. “Physically, just the talent level. This is a top five or six seed in the NCAA Tournament.”

Collins is one of four Billikens averaging in double figures and he has produced 64 of his team’s 102 assists. He is averaging an unusually high 10.7 assists per game to go with 3.0 turnovers per contest.

“Yuri Collins is one of the best in the country,” Pearl said. “It will be a great matchup with him and Wendell Green. Wendell played great at Saint Louis last year.”

In last year’s 74-70 Auburn road victory over the Billikens the Saint Louis guard came close to a triple-double. He fouled out with 13 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists while turning the ball over six times.

Auburn’s leading scorer from that game, Walker Kessler with 19 points, is in the NBA now, but the Tigers return Wendell Green, who scored 15 points and dished out eight assists with just two turnovers vs. Saint Louis.

Green leads the scoring for the 2022-23 Tigers, who are 6-0 after winning the Cancun Classic with victories over Bradley and Northwestern. The point guard is averaging 12 points, 4.7 rebounds and a team-best 4.2 assists.

Also back for the Tigers is another junior guard, K.D. Johnson, who scored 11 points at Saint Louis. Johnson is Auburn’s third leading scorer at 9.8 points per contest behind newcomer Johni Broome.

A 6-10, 235 post player, Broome is averaging 10.4 points, a team-best 8.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocked shots.

The leading scorer for Saint Louis in last season’s game, 6-4, 215 junior forward Terrance Hargrove who finished that contest with 17 points, is averaging 3.7 points per outing in a backup role.

For the 2022-23 season the top scorer for Saint Louis is 6-5, 205 redshirt sophomore guard Gibson Jimmer, who is averaging 14.7 points and 3.2 rebounds. Javonte Perkins, a 6-6, 205 senior guard/forward, is, averaging 13.7 points and 1.5 rebounds.

The other Saint Louis player averaging in double figures is Javon Pickett, a 6-5, 215 senior guard, with 10 points to go with 7.8 rebounds. Pickett made the move to Saint Louis from Missouri.

Francis Okoro, a 6-9, 230 senior, is the top rebounder at 9.7 per game and he is averaging 8.8 points.

As a team the Billikens are shooting 47.7 percent from the field while holding opponents to 37.8 percent. Saint Louis is 47-133 on threes (35.3 percen) while opponents have hit 49-154 threes for a 31.8 success rate. The Billikens are shooting 81.3 percent at the foul line.

Saint Louis is turning the ball over 11.3 times per game while forcing 9.7.

The Billikens will arrive at Neville Arena on a two-game winning streak after defeating Providence 76-73 and Paul Quinn 96-53 on Wednesday. Other victories have come at home against Murray State (91-68), Evansville (83-65) and vs. Memphis (90-84) on a neutral site where the Billikens lost to Maryland.

Auburn, which has a 42-game homecourt winning streak vs. non-conference opponents, won 85-64 on Tuesday in Mexico vs. the Bradley Braves at the Cancun Challenge. The Tigers had their best shooting performance of the season that night, making 58.6 percent of their field goals, 8-17 threes and 15-20 free throws.

In the tournament championship game the Tigers had their worst shooting performance in the 43-42 win over Northwestern. Auburn made 26 percent of its field goals, 23.8 percent from three-point range and finished 12-18 at the free throw line.

Asked if he could explain the difference in the shooting numbers from Tuesday to Wednesday, Cancun Challenge Most Valuable Player Jaylin Williams credited Northwestern with playing strong defense. “Those guys defended very well,” the senior said. “A lot of those shots were late-clocks.”

Williams said the Tigers “jacked up” some shots outside of the offensive sets, something he pointed out didn’t go well against Northwestern.

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Pearl said despite the very different offensive performances in the two games in Mexico, the defense was very good each night. “I am proud of my team for winning the Cancun Challenge,” he said. “We played hard and we played great defensively. That is going to be something that is going to have to carry us all year long.”

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When you see a really good Black Friday deal

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We’re back in Neville Arena on Sunday! Get there early as @auburnmbb takes on Saint Louis and get your free @AUJungle t-shirt! #WarEagle

 

8:13 PM · Nov 25, 2022 from Alabama, USA

 

 

apologies for the picture. i reposted a few times and this is the best i could do.

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Auburn vs. Saint Louis: Stream, injury report, broadcast info for Sunday’s matinee

Taylor Jones

2–3 minutes

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The No. 16 Auburn Tigers play Saint Louis on Sunday afternoon, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

After a successful week in Mexico where they were crowned the champions of the Cancun Challenge, the Auburn Tigers are back on the Plains to face a solid squad from the Atlantic 10 Conference, the Saint Louis Billikens.

The Billikens enter Sunday’s game with a 5-1 record, owning wins over programs such as Murray State, Memphis, and Providence. Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl has plenty of respect for Saint Louis.

“This will be, by far, our biggest test in so many,” Pearl said Friday during his game preview press conference. “Physically, just the talent level. This is a top five or six seed in the NCAA Tournament.”

Much like Bradley, who the Tigers faced in Cancun, the Billikens have plenty of offensive firepowers. Saint Louis’ roster features four players that average double-figures in scoring every game. One player to watch, in particular, is point guard Yuri Collins.

In last season’s game at Saint Louis, Collins was two assists away from a triple-double after scoring 13 and pulling down 12 rebounds in Auburn’s 74-70 win. Pearl says that he anticipates the matchup between Collins and Wendell Green Jr. on Sunday.

Below, you will find every peice of key information needed for Auburn’s game against Saint Louis, including a “how-to-watch” guide, injury report, and a projected starting lineup.

How to watch/listen to Sunday's game

• Date: Sunday, Nov. 27

• Time: 2 p.m. CT

• TV Channel: SEC Network (Roy Philpott, Daymeon Fishback)

• Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)

• Radio: Auburn Sports Network (Andy Burcham, Sonny Smith, Brad Law)

Auburn vs. Saint Louis injury report

AUBURN
No Injuries Reported
SAINT LOUIS
Daniel Rivera	Foot	Out for the season
Fred Thatch Jr.	Undisclosed	Questionable for Sunday’s game

Players to watch:

AUBURN

• Wendell Green Jr.

• Jaylin Williams

• Johni Broome

SAINT LOUIS

• Gibson Jimerson

• Francis Okoro

• Yuri Collins

Projected Starting Lineup

AUBURN
Wendell Green Jr.	G
Zep Jasper	G
Chris Moore	F
Jaylin Williams	F
Johni Broome	F
SAINT LOUIS
Yuri Collins	G
Gibson Jimerson	G
Javon Pickett	G
Javonte Perkins	G
Francis Okoro	F

Story originally appeared on Auburn Wire