- It wasn't pretty, but it's a win. Auburn now is 9-2 for the first time since 2008-09, though Jeff Lebo was playing the most cupcake-y schedule possible back in those days. These Tigers have played a few easy ones and several games against solid (or better) opponents. I'm not sure how to categorize the Sooners at this point, but I'd consider them solid if I had to choose.
- Tale of two halves in that two different players carried the Tigers: T.J. Dunans in the first, Jared Harper in the second. Dunans added 13 points, four rebounds and four assists during a first half that saw both teams struggling to accomplish much. Harper scored 16 points in the second half and routinely found ways to get his team off the mat (so to speak) with free throws. Harper was 9-of-10 from the line during the second half. He played intelligent, veteran ball when his team sorely needed a leader. Impressive performance.
- Highly frustrating night for Danjel Purifoy, who sat most of the first half due to two early fouls. He picked up this third foul during the Tigers' initial defensive possession of the second half. That's not good enough. The redshirt freshman finished with six points and seven rebounds in 14 minutes of work. That's just not enough for Auburn's true catalyst.
- You look at Mustapha Heron's final line (15 points, 12 rebounds) and you're thinking: Atta boy. But seven turnovers is a whole lot considering he's not a primary ball-handler. He probably was feeling pressure due to playing less than 100 miles from his hometown. Either way, Heron must value possession a little more moving forward.
- Speaking of high turnover rates: Austin Wiley had four of 'em Wednesday. He's not even a tertiary ball-handler. He gets a pass, of course, because he's still 17 years old. You get what you get. With that said, someone with that size and height should provide more than three rebounds. He did manage two blocks and a fantastic assist to Heron during the second half, so Wiley's second college game was more of a mixed bag than a disappointment. If anything, he'd benefit from more than three shots.
- Auburn's resilience against Mercer was notable. That again was a theme Wednesday. Oklahoma built a 13-0 run during the first half and a 9-0 run during the second half. Still, the Tigers didn't fold. They found ways to stem the surges, generally due to Harper's work, and answered those runs with smaller runs of their own. That's a very good sign for Auburn's mental fortitude and confidence.
- Ten assists on 22 made baskets is not good. Ten assists versus 23 turnovers is really bad. The team needs to do more than simply pass; it must pass with more purpose.
- On the plus side, Auburn did what it needed to do from a strategic perspective. Oklahoma's best scorer, Christian James, finished with 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting. OU doesn't win when James plays poorly. Auburn also managed to get OU's best post defender and rebounder, Khadeem Lattin, in foul trouble. He ended up playing just 17 minutes.
- It was a weird rebounding night for Auburn. Though it won the rebounding battle 45-41, it conceded 17 offensive rebounds. That's very alarming. The Tigers did a much better job with their defensive rebounding -- grabbing 37 of those. However, we all know offensive boards generally are more valuable because they generally lead to more stick-backs. A big reason for AU's issues was its zone defense, which by definition draws players out of rebounding position on the defensive end. Auburn must pay more attention to that against UConn on Friday. Zone rebounding requires concerted effort.
- Seventeen minutes for Devin Waddell is ... a curious decision. He really offers help in one part of the game (post defense) and didn't look comfortable out there Wednesday night. Bruce Pearl is determined to make center Horace Spencer and guard Bryce Brown feel the punitive measures associated with their recent arrest for marijuana possession. They were available to play against Oklahoma, but they didn't. Pearl is sending a message. Until that message is received to Pearl's satisfaction, Auburn must make do with Waddell and freshman Anfernee McLemore logging significant minutes in the post.
Last edited:
