The Vanderbilt Commodores, who are 14-3 overall and 3-0 in the Southeastern Conference, face their next challenge when Auburn (10-9, 1-3) visits Memorial Gym on Saturday.
Coach Kevin Stallings’ squad has been on fire lately, averaging more than 84 points per contest over its last seven games. Fresh off an 89-79 victory at South Carolina in which the Commodores shot 61 percent from the floor, Vanderbilt will look to stay hot against Auburn.
The Tigers are coming off an 84-80 road victory against Louisiana State University for their first win in conference play. Their 1-3 record places them second to last in the SEC West.
However, the Commodores should be wary of their upcoming opponent. Two of Auburn’s three conference losses have come at the hands of Tennessee and Kentucky, who are ranked in the top ten nationally. Coach Jeff Lebo had Auburn in the same spot last season.
After stumbling to a 1-3 start in the SEC, the Tigers improved their play and finished with a 10-6 conference record.
Auburn already showed signs of resurgence in its victory over LSU, draining 10 of 22 three-pointers as they fought from behind nearly the entire game. Against Vanderbilt, Auburn will look to senior guard DeWayne Reed, who leads his team with 16.2 points per game, to lead the attack.
For the Tigers to have a shot at handing Vanderbilt its first home loss, strong paint play from seniors Brendon Knox and Lucas Hargrove is a necessity. Hargrove is Auburn’s best rebounder, at 7.2 per game, but at 6 feet 6 inches, he faces a challenge in matching up with Vanderbilt’s A.J. Ogilvy, who stands at 6 feet 11 inches. Knox is a force inside who has played well, coming off the bench for most of the season.
Ogilvy has been Vanderbilt’s main threat lately, providing his team with an inside threat to compliment its dearth of talented perimeter players. After injuries limited his potential at the beginning of the season, the junior has improved his form drastically.
Feeding Ogilvy the ball will be senior guard Jermaine Beal, who leads the team in assists and can also score himself, averaging 13.0 points per contest.
Vanderbilt’s main weapon against Auburn will be its depth.
The Commodores have four players averaging double-digit points. In addition to Ogilvy and Beal, Jeffery Taylor uses his athleticism and shooting touch to lead the team in scoring. Also, coming off the bench this season, freshman sensation John Jenkins is a deadly shooter.
Sophomores Brad Tinsley and Andre Walker can unlock opposing defenses with their passing ability. Fellow sophomores Festus Ezeli and Steve Tchiengang both play solid interior defense off the bench.
Auburn’s offense mainly runs through DeWayne Reed, but he also has a strong supporting cast. Reed combines with sophomore Frankie Sullivan to form a backcourt that averages more than 30 points per game. Sullivan is especially dangerous from behind the arc, shooting 42 percent from distance.
The Commodores will face Auburn Saturday in Memorial Gym at 12:30 p.m. CST.
