AUBURN — A share of the SEC regular-season championship is already won.
Auburn basketball wants more than a share.
Bruce Pearl’s Tigers (26-4, 14-3) have a shot at winning the SEC by finishing homework, where they haven’t lost this season. They will face South Carolina (18-11, 9-8) on Saturday (noon, SEC Network) at the new Neville Arena.
Here’s what you need to know.
Impact on the SEC Tournament
It’s simple now: If Auburn wins, Auburn is the No. 1 seed in Tampa next week, winning a solo SEC title. If the Tigers lose, they are guaranteed the No. 2 seed, and Arkansas’ winner against Tennessee on Saturday will get the seed. Kentucky is also a game behind in the standings but can’t get the No. 1 seed.
surging south carolina
Don’t look now, but the Gamecocks have been quietly climbing the SEC rankings for weeks. It’s probably too little, too late for an NCAA Tournament berth: They’re No. 91 in the NET rankings because they relied on weaker opponents: They’re 6-9 in Quad 1 games and 2; 11-2 in Quad 3 and 4 games.
But beating a top-five Auburn team to finish the regular season would solidify the shaky resume. South Carolina has rebounded from a three-game losing streak to start February by winning five of its last six games.
During that streak, the Gamecocks shot 46% from the field and averaged 16.5 assists per game. On defense, they average 7.5 steals, 5.3 blocks and 14 forced turnovers. Opponents were held 28% from 3-point range.
With six teams 9-8 or 8-9 in the league, including South Carolina, Auburn’s Friday opponent in Tampa is in the air for the final day.
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How Auburn sailed in Game 1
The Tigers’ road struggles through the second half of conference play weren’t even on the horizon when they dispatched the Gamecocks Jan. 4 to Columbia, South Carolina.
Auburn won 81-66 in attacking the rim and attempting the fewest 3-pointers in a game (13) since Bruce Pearl’s freshman season. He was flexing the depth of his roster against the bottom half of the SEC, with Auburn’s bench outscoring South Carolina 40-11. The Tigers had four double-digit players — including point guards Wendell Green Jr. and Zep Jasper combining for 35 points — but also seven players with multiple turnovers.
A sloppy, paced game worked for Auburn, turning 20 South Carolina turnovers into 26 points. The foul-prone Tigers also had one of their best games to avoid sending an opponent to the line: South Carolina’s 13 attempts are the third fewest by an SEC opponent this season. . Auburn needs to hone the art of not fouling.
Both teams running out of pace at 3 points
South Carolina and Auburn rank 275th and 269th respectively in the nation in 3-point shooting. The Gamecocks are at 31.83 percent but have attempted 100 fewer 3-point shots than Auburn. They rely on a trio of big, physical guards who dominate Auburn’s core trio.
Jermaine Couisnard has an average of 11.8 points. Erik Stevenson is averaging 11.4 and scoring 25 on 5-for-8 outside shooting last time out against Auburn. And James Reese V is averaging 10.5. All three are 6ft 4in tall. But the sum of its parts in South Carolina? It’s the No. 13 offense in the SEC.
Auburn vs South Carolina basketball score prediction
Auburn 87, South Carolina 79: The Gamecocks are having a tougher regular season finale than Auburn might have expected looking at the schedule two months ago. But in what will likely be Jabari Smith’s last game at Auburn (and possibly Walker Kessler’s), the Tigers will cut the nets.
