Tale of the Tape: Comparing Auburn and South Carolina ahead of Wednesday’s showdown at Neville Arena
The No. 12 Auburn Tigers host No. 11 South Carolina on Wednesday in what will be its most notable home game of the season.
The Tigers still have dreams of winning the SEC, and their performances in the upcoming stretch of games featuring South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi State over its next five games will determine if they are indeed the kings of the conference.
The first game in the stretch will be a home tilt with South Carolina, winners of seven straight games and the current leaders of the SEC standings. The Gamecocks are a team that enjoys getting ahead quickly and will look to quiet a rowdy crowd inside Neville Arena from the beginning.
Can Auburn keep its unbeaten home winning streak alive on Wednesday against a challenging opponent in South Carolina? Here’s a look at how the teams compare heading into this pivotal SEC matchup.
Rankings comparison
AUBURN | SOUTH CAROLINA | |
19-5 (8-3) | Record (SEC) | 21-3 (9-2) |
No. 12 | Coaches Poll | No. 11 |
No. 13 | AP Poll | No. 11 |
No. 3 | SEC | No. 1 |
No. 7 | NET | No. 45 |
No. 5 | KenPom | No. 45 |
No. 7 | ESPN BPI | No. 48 |
Stats comparison
AUBURN | SOUTH CAROLINA | |
82.3 | Points per game | 72.6 |
67.1 | Points allowed per game | 64.0 |
39.3 | Rebounds per game | 36.1 |
17.8 | Assists per game | 15.7 |
Johni Broome (16.0) | Leading scorer | Meechie Johnson (14.1) |
Johni Broome (8.8) | Leading rebounder | BJ Mack (5.1) |
Tre Donaldson (3.5) | Leading assists | Ta’Lon Cooper (4.4) |
Record comparison
AUBURN | SOUTH CAROLINA | |
2-4 | Quad 1 | 3-2 |
6-1 | Quad 2 | 5-0 |
6-0 | Quad 3 | 4-1 |
5-0 | Quad 4 | 8-0 |
12-0 | Home record | 13-1 |
7-5 | Away/Neutral record | 8-2 |
Alabama (No. 5 in NET) | Best win | Tennessee (No. 6 in NET) |
Final analysis
It is not a stretch to say that Wednesday’s game will be the most challenging home game on Auburn’s schedule to date, and a win will boost its resume and earn them respect. Since taking a 74-47 loss to Alabama on Jan. 9, the Gamecocks have won four SEC games on the road, including a 63-59 win over Tennessee.
On paper, Auburn should win this game. But it can not let itself get too comfortable or South Carolina could embarrass them. Auburn needs to avoid another Florida situation and find ways to get more people involved in the stat sheet. The more, the better.
