Florida at Auburn men’s basketball: Viewing options, narratives as Tigers aim for 15 consecutive victories
At 21-1 with eight ranked wins and the highest-rated offense in the country, Bruce Pearl and his Auburn Tigers look like a machine. Saturday brings one of their toughest challengers yet in Todd Golden’s Florida Gators. No. 1 vs. No. 6. SEC basketball really rocks right now.
Auburn star center Johni Broome is back to business. He missed two weeks in January with an injured ankle, but is averaging 20 points, 11 rebounds and four stocks (steals plus blocks) across his last three starts.
Broome’s work is considerably easier with so many sharpshooting Tigers in his orbit. Seniors Chad Baker-Mazara and Denver Jones each hit four 3-pointers against Ole Miss on Saturday. Fellow fourth-year Miles Kelly is shooting 41 percent beyond the arc. Freshman Tahaad Pettiford is sheer joy off the bench, already touting NBA-level range, a slick handle and a loping stride around screens.
The Tigers’ only loss this season was to a stacked Duke squad in early December. They’ve claimed their last three conference contests by double digits. Some students left Tuesday’s win early … to stand in line for Saturday’s game.
With tougher opponents come bigger potential upsets. Florida is 1-3 against teams in the current AP Top 25. The W was a massive 30-point drubbing of then-No. 1 Tennessee. Beating Auburn on the road would be the loudest of statement wins.
Leading scorer Walter Clayton Jr. missed the Gators’ most recent game after rolling his ankle last Saturday. Combo guard Alijah Martin left Tuesday’s win over Vanderbilt, injured after chasing a deflected ball. There is never a good time for compromised health, but the weekend of an Auburn game is a particularly bad one.
Three-year starter Will Richard stepped up in the Vandy win. He is shooting a career-high 42 percent on treys in SEC action. Australian Alex Condon has been great on the offensive glass. The whole team ranks third in Division I in rebounds per game.
Auburn won this head-to-head in the final of last spring’s SEC tournament. Gators big man Micah Handlogten broke his leg two minutes into the matchup. Broome was dominant with 19 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
