LSU takes on SEC’s best team

Published 7:09 pm Saturday, January 27, 2018

Surprising Auburn unbeaten at home

While most of the league fights for conference bragging rights today in head-to-head matchups against Big 12 teams, LSU gets the Southeastern Conference’s best team when the Tigers travel to Auburn.

Missouri plays at Mississippi State in the only other conference game while the other 10 teams do battle against the Big 12.

The league probably wishes it had sent Auburn with so much conference pride on the line.

One of the real surprises this season, Auburn is atop the SEC standings and ranked No. 19 in both polls.

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“I don’t know how they’re not ranked higher,” LSU coach Will Wade said. “They’re 18-2, 6-1 in probably the best conference in the country. They look like a top-10 team to me.”

On paper, it’s a tough matchup for LSU (12-7, 3-4), although the Tigers are coming off one of their better performances of the season in a 77-65 win over Texas A&M on Tuesday.

In conference play LSU has been better on the road (2-1) than at home (1-3), but that may not be much help at an already sold out Auburn Arena.

“It will be our biggest road challenge yet,” Wade said. “Their home court is phenomenal. On TV it looks like they have one of, if not the best, home-court advantages in the league. They are playing with a ton of confidence. I don’t think they’ve lost at home.”

Auburn, in fact, is 10-0 at home with its two losses coming at Alabama and on a neutral floor against Temple.

Auburn is also the SEC’s top-scoring team (83.4 ppg) and, although LSU’s defense has improved markedly in conference play, Auburn’s strength could give the Tigers problems.

“The reason our defense is better is because we aren’t giving up a bunch of 3s,” Wade said. “We give up a lot of offensive rebounds. The whole basis of our defense being a little bit more efficient is we get a lot of steals and force some turnovers and we guard the 3-point line pretty well.”

Wade called Auburn “the best offensive rebounding team” in the SEC, a sore spot for LSU.

LSU beat the Aggies despite being outrebounded by 20.

“It’s a problem,” Wade said. “It’s going to be a problem for us all year. They’re the best offensive rebounding team in our league. They’re relentless driving the ball.”

Auburn is averaging almost 10 3-points per game. 

“We are giving up some open 3s,” Wade said. “But we are giving up open 3s to guys who it’s kind of by design. The problem is there’s nobody at Auburn who we can give up an open 3 to. They all shoot them well. That’s a little bit of an issue.”

LSU is No. 2 in the league in turnover margin, with point guard Tremont Waters leading the league in steals.

But Auburn is No. 1 in that category with the second-fewest turnovers in the league.

“We just have to play really well in a hostile environment and get it to the last couple of minutes of the game where we have a chance and see if we can make some plays,” Wade said. “I don’t think many people, if any, are going to win there.”

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LSU coach Will Wade greets forward Wayde Sims (44) as he returns to the bench during the team’s NCAA college basketball game against Texas A&M, Tuesday, Jan. 23, 2018, in Baton Rouge, La.

Hilary Scheinuk