Auburn vs. Xavier: Key storylines to watch in Maui Invitational matchup

SAN DIEGO, CA - MARCH 16: Aubie the Tiger, mascot for the Auburn Tigers, performs as they take on the Charleston Cougars in the first half in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena on March 16, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

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SAN DIEGO, CA – MARCH 18: Head coach Bruce Pearl of the Auburn Tigers reacts as they take on the Clemson Tigers in the first half during the second round of the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Viejas Arena on March 18, 2018 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Donald Miralle/Getty Images) /

Auburn and Xavier face off in the quarterfinals of the 2018 Maui Invitational. What are the key storylines to watch for in the game?

The field for the 2018 Maui Invitational is considered one of the best overall groups in program history. There will be three top-10 teams involved (Duke, Gonzaga, and Auburn), along with consistent mid-major power San Diego State. Talented teams such as Iowa State and Arizona are participating, along with Illinois and highly regarded Ayo Dosunmu.

The last team to be mentioned are the Xavier Musketeers. Last year they were one of the best teams in the country, getting a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament before getting bounced early in the second round. Xavier then had a complete transformation, including losing head coach Chris Mack to the Louisville Cardinals. Assistant Travis Steele was tapped to replace him.

The Musketeers also had to replace the team’s top three scorers, using the transfer market to do so. The results so far have been promising, with early season wins over IUPUI and Evansville. But plenty of work remains, evident by the home loss to Wisconsin in the Gavitt Games.

The hope is that Xavier improves enough to beat Auburn, who has looked every bit of the top-10 preseason ranking they got. Along with wins over South Alabama and Mississippi College, the Tigers dominated Washington 88-66 in a top-25 matchup. Bruce Pearl’s high-octane offense is averaging close to 100 ppg and still doesn’t have Danjel Purifoy, who’s sitting out the first part of the season due to violations regarding eligibility rules.

Although Auburn appears to have the edge, these two programs are more similar than you would expect. Here are some of the keys to this game.

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