Below is each team's NET ranking and quadrant resumes. This is a quadrant 1 game for LSU at Auburn as they are very much inside the Top 75 (vs. 1-75 away game is Quadrant 1). These results are as of 2/7/20.

Quad 1 = Against #1-30 Home, #1-50 Neutral, #1-75 Away
Quad 2 = Against #31-75 Home, #51-100 Neutral, #76-135 Away
Quad 3 = Against #76-150 Home, #101-200 Neutral, #136-240 Away
Quad 4 = Against #161-353 Home, #201-353 Neutral, #241-353 Away

#28 (17-5, 8-1 SEC) LSU
Quad 1 = 3-2
Quad 2 = 7-2
Quad 3 = 3-1
Quad 4 = 4-0

#17 (20-2, 7-2 SEC) Auburn
Quad 1 = 3-2
Quad 2 = 6-0
Quad 3 = 7-0
Quad 4 = 4-0

LSU as of recent
Finally knocked off in conference play, by a previously winless in conference Vandy team, what’s to say other than completely shocking. After winning 10 straight games, 8 in conference play, a really bad Vanderbilt team knocked us off at their place this week. Now, Vanderbilt had played Kentucky, Auburn and Florida tough this season, but to actually pick up the win against us took an absolute way over their head performance where a guy like Maxwell Evans who probably nobody in the conference knew before the game dropping 30+ points for Vandy to win this one. We ran into Vandy on the wrong night, and we thought we could simply outscore them, and failed to do so. The defensive effort was non-existent as guarding the 3 point line continues to be a major issue for the team. Scoring was not a problem for us on the night but the defensive (lack of) effort made it easy for Vandy going inside on us and knocking down wide open 3s most of the game.

Auburn as of recent
After getting off to a ridiculously hot 15-0 start to the season, Auburn dropped back to back conference games at Bama and at Florida (where neither game was close) but since then have won 5 straight games including knocking off Kentucky and winning @ Arkansas. This has been the best team in the conference this season overall and is looking to finally take over 1st place in the conference on Saturday over us at home. Expect the arena to be rocking even with the 11 AM tip.

Auburn projected starters
C (6'11, 260) SR. Austin Wiley
PF (6'7, 230) SR. Danjel Purifoy
SF (6'6, 225) FR. Issac Okoro
SG (6'4, 195) SR. Samir Doughty
PG (6'0, 185) SR. J’Von McCormick

Austin Wiley is an NBA caliber center who doesn’t play a ton of minutes, but is very effective when he does play. Wiley in 19.8 conference minutes per game is averaging 8.4 points, 8 rebounds (3.1 offensive), 1.6 blocks on 47% from the floor. His conference PER is 24.1 and will be hitting the glass hard and protecting the rim well for Auburn.

Danjel Purifoy is a stretch 4 who shoots more 3’s than 2’s although in conference play has struggled from there. In 28.9 conference minutes per game is averaging 9.6 points, 5.1 boards (1.6 offensive), 1.6 assists on 38% from the floor and 28% from 3. His conference PER is 15.6.

Isaac Okoro is a super freshman who will be in the NBA next season. In 34.3 conference minutes per game is averaging 12.7 points, 4.8 boards (1.9 offensive), 2.7 assists to 1.4 turnovers, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks on 44% from the floor and 36% from 3 (takes 2.8 per game). Okoro’s conference PER is 20.1. Great all around player who is very tough.

Samir Doughty is a former VCU transfer who played ok but nothing notable last year and this year is Auburn’s leading scorer. He takes over 5 3’s a conference game and in 33.3 conference minutes per game is averaging 14 points, 4 boards, 2 assists to 2.2 turnovers on 34% from the floor and 24% from 3. His conference PER is only 12.9 on the season. So while he leads the team in scoring, is a bit of a chucker and not high percentage player.

J’Von McCormick. backed up Jared Harper last year and was a relative unknown and this year has stepped into the starting PG role relatively well for Auburn. In 31.8 minutes per conference game is averaging 11.4 pints, 3.8 boards, 3.1 assists to 2.8 turnovers on 37% from the floor and 21% from 3 (takes 3.2 per game). His conference Per is just 11.3 on the season.

Auburn top bench players
PF (6’7, 220) SR. Anfernee McLemore
SG (6’5, 200) FR. Allen Flanigan
SG (6’4, 195) rSO. Jamal Johnson
SF (6’6,190) FR. Devan Cambridge

Auburn will go a little deep on the bench but only 1 player really presents many issues for you. McLemore is a starting caliber stretch 4 off the bench who get about 23 minutes a game and averages 9 points a game in conference play with a 19.3 conference PER. Flanigan, Johnson and Cambridge all average around 3 points a game off the bench and between 9-13.6 minutes a game in conference play. Cambridge is a little more well rounded than the other 2 guys but all 3 will fire up more 3’s than 2’s.

Auburn as a team
The short answer here is Auburn is a lot like LSU, that takes more 3’s (And doesn’t make them any higher than we do % wise) and plays MUCH better defense. They will pound offensive glass much like we do, (34.4% of misses rebounded vs. 38.8% for us), get to the line like we do although not as efficient there as we are and are good but not great from 2 (we are elite there). Auburn has a solid enough defense and very good offense, although not quite as efficient as ours. The biggest difference between Auburn and us is experience, they start 4 seniors, bring 1 off the bench and have an elite freshman, not very much unlike Watford, but we’re certainly not rotating 5 seniors like they are. It’s a very very experienced team with a sprinkle of a great young talent in Okoro.

The Matchup
It’s not as bad as you may think as kenpom thinks this will be a tight game according to the numbers. Where Auburn has a clear advantage over us is inside with the 6’11 Wiley. I think we’ve got the guards to easily match or surpass Auburn as they aren’t nearly as strong there as they were last year. However, Auburn goes very quality at the big spots. We have the #1 offense in SEC and they have the #6 defense. We have the #11 defense and they have the #6 offense. We have the #2 offensive rebounding team in the conference but they defend that best in conference. They only shoot 27.6% from 3, which is good because we cant defend it either. In the end, this game could come down to a number of factors, but one of the biggest working in Auburn’s favor is a 9 man rotation vs. our 7 man rotation. We can’t get into foul trouble or have any injuries really. Honestly after the Vandy loss I don’t know if we will parlay that into a wake up call and play extremely tough with much better effort or come out flat on the road and lose to what I think is a superior team to us.

Projected LSU Starting 5
PF (6'6, 230) SO. Emmitt Williams - #5
PF (6'6, 240) SO. Darius Days - #0
SF (6'9, 235) FR. Trendon Watford - #2
SG (6'4, 205) SR. Skylar Mays - #4
PG (6'4, 205) SO. Javonte Smart - #1

Main rotational players
SF (6'5, 210) SR. Marlon Taylor - #14
SF (6'5, 225) rFR. Aundre Hyatt - #15

Kenpom's Prediction: LSU 75 Auburn 79